Near the end of 1944, U.S. military leaders recognized the strategic importance of seizing Iwo Jima to establish an airbase that would protect B-29s on long-range bombing runs to Tokyo. On February 19, 1945, more than 70,000 Marines made the initial landing. With the enemy deeply entrenched in caves on the face of Mt. Suribachi, the Marines fought an uphill struggle under heavy artillery and mortar fire. The capture of Iwo Jima took 36 days, with 7,000 Americans killed and total casualties reaching 27,499. On February 23, 1945, live U.S. Marines and one Navy corpsman raised the flag atop Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima.