"Among Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue". This statement by Fleet Admiral Nimitz following the Battle of Iwo Jima succinctly summarizes the degree of effort, dedication, and personal sacrifice required of American servicemen to capture the island. The Japanese defenders also displayed these qualities, but the United States forces prevailed because they combined this effort, dedication, and sacrifice with superior application of basic principles of warfighting. Analysis of the application of these principles will help us understand why the battle developed and ended as it did. To do this, we must first examine the battle itself.