In 2005, archaeologists dug a tunnel Japanese on Iwo Jima. They found something on the ground, and the scene changes Iwo Jima in 1944. Private First Class Saigo, a baker conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army, and the platoon who is reluctant to dig trenches on the island's coast. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi arrives to take command of the garrison, and immediately began an inspection of the island defenses. He saved Kashiwara Saigo and his friend from a beating by Captain Tanida for saying 'no patriotic speeches', and ordered the people to stop digging trenches on the beach and began tunneling into the Mount Suribachi defense. Later, Lieutenant Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi, a famous Olympic gold medalist show jumper, joined Kuribayashi for dinner. They discussed the bleak prospects for sea or air there is no support and the fanaticism fellow officers would come. Kuribayashi evacuates civilians Iwo Jima to mainland Japan. He collided with some senior officers, who did not agree with the strategy of defending the interior than the coast; Kuribayashi believes that America will take the beach quickly, and the only defense of the mountain will have a better chance to stand against the enemy. Poor nutrition and unhealthy conditions take toll on the garrison; many died of dysentery, including Kashiwara. Japanese troops began using the cave as a barracks. Kashiwara a replacement, a young soldier named Superior Private Shimizu, arrived for duty on the island. Saigo and his friends suspect that Shimizu was a spy sent from Kempetai to report faithfully soldier since he was trained in an institution Kempetai. The first American air occurred shortly after the bombing, causing significant casualties. After the attack, Saigo was sick when he saw the corpse of a friend, still sitting upright. Another victim was Jupiter, horse Baron Nishi, who was also killed by a bomb. Attack Japanese troops to dig deeper into the volcanic island. A few days later, U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima and the Japanese open fire. Battle of Iwo Jima begins. As the landing place, American forces suffered heavy casualties, but the Japanese coast defenses quickly resolved, and the attack switched to defensive positions on Mount Suribachi. Saigo helped the defense by carrying ammunition for machine guns. When a Japanese machine gunner killed by a shell from an American ship, Saigo was ordered by the company commander to use a gun, because the damaged machine gun. He handled so awkwardly that he was sent to pick up some machine guns instead. While the company delivered a request from commanders to the Suribachi garrison commander, General Kuribayashi Saigo overheard radioing orders to retreat to the north. The commanders of Suribachi, however, ignored orders from the general command and not to convey a message Saigo commanded the people of his company to commit suicide. The Japanese soldiers from the unit Saigo committed suicide with grenades, including Saigo friend Nozaki, and Captain Tanida shot himself in the head with a Type 14 8 mm Nambu Pistol, but Saigo fled and left the cave with Shimizu, convincing himself that is more productive to continue the struggle than dead. They come in two other Japanese soldiers, but one got incinerated by flamethrowers America through a hole in the tunnel, resulting in three remaining soldiers fled. They later found beaten and captured Japanese soldiers tourturing Marine (There is the belief that Marines captured Ralph "Iggy" Ignatowski). Japanese Marines asked for mercy, even though the petition falls on deaf ears as the Japanese soldiers stabbed him to death with a bayonet, many Saigo upset. Saigo and the remaining Japanese soldiers on Mount Suribachi trying to escape under the orders of Lieutenant Oiso and escape tunnels at night. However, they fled to the U.S. Marines, who remove all Japanese troops except Saigo and Shimizu. Both men fled to friendly lines, but they were accused by Lieutenant Ito rare Suribachi. Ito raised the katana to Saigo and Shimizu executed for cowardice when General Kuribayashi appears to stop the punishment, confirmed that he had ordered the retreat and thus save Saigo for the second time. The soldiers of the effort futile assault on the cave American position, with Japan taking big losses. Saigo and soldiers who were still alive were ordered to regroup with Colonel Nishi. Ito then head toward the American lines with the three land mines, intend to throw themselves under American tanks. The next morning, there was fierce fighting. Japan took the victim, but managed to kill several U.S. Marines and destroy a tank. Lieutenant Okubo, Nishi executive officer shoots U.S. Marines, who then arrested by Nishi's a man. He revealed his name to Sam, and medical personnel Nishi his command to provide assistance even though Japan's decreasing supply of medical personnel. Despite their efforts, the Marine died of his wounds. Nishi read the letter received from his mother American. As the bomb hits the cave Nishi, Nishi was seriously injured and blind. The fruit is bound up his wounds, and Nishi their orders to another position on the island. As a final aid, he asked Lieutenant Okubo to leave the gun. After leaving that position, the soldiers heard a shot away from Nishi's cave. Being fed up with the battle, Saigo said to Shimizu that he would surrender to the Americans and did not care whether this Kempetai Shimizu report. Shimizu divulges to Saigo that he had been discharged dishonorably from Kempetai. In hindsight, it revealed that he was dismissed because he refused to obey orders from superiors to kill the dog barking. He then moved to Iwo Jima. This causes softening attitude toward Shimizu Saigo enough. Shimizu damaged and scared to ask Saigo to surrender with him. Shimizu and the other soldiers tried to escape the cave where they were stationed. Okubo their orders to stop; when they failed to stop, he shot another soldier while Shimizu escape. Shimizu surrendered to U.S. Marines patrol and found himself in another company that Japanese soldiers had surrendered. Patrol move, leaving Shimizu and the other Japanese soldiers and two Marines. One of the American guards, who did not want to be burdened with prisoners of war, and then shot them, surprised many other Marines and two patrol chasing them. Soldiers who died was found by the Japanese and Lieutenant Okubo points out as a lesson to others who want to give up. Saigo, very saddened by his death, placing the corpse senninbari Shimizu. Meanwhile, Ito has not found anything to attack American troops. Despair, fatigue, and malnutrition, the fanatics will break and when the U.S. Navy found him, he gave up. Saigo and the remaining survivors discover that the cave was attacked Kuribayashi, and fierce fighting raged. They are responsible for the shootout, and lost several men, including Lieutenant Okubo who successfully neutralize the U.S. M1919 Browning machine gun and crew. They entered the cave under the storm of bullets America, met with Kuribayashi, who recognizes Saigo. One of the last attack with all the men who left planned. Saigo Kuribayashi orders to stay behind and destroy all documents, including his own letters to his family. With this, save the life of Saigo Kuribayashi third time. Kuribayashi and the remaining troops began their final assault. Most of the people killed Kuribayashi, Kuribayashi and critically wounded. Fujita Kuribayashi loyal aide to drag him away from the battle. The next day, Kuribayashi ordered his aides to behead him; however, aide shot dead by U.S. snipers, raising his sword. Saigo appeared at this moment, after burying some documents in caves rather than burn them all. Last reserve force, which is very weak Kuribayashi asks Saigo to bury it so no one will find it. Kuribayashi and then pulled a pistol, M1911 America - revealed in a flashback to the previous two became Kuribayashi prizes awarded in the United States before the war, at a party where he was a guest of honor - and shot himself in the chest. Saigo took away the dead general (without consciously left the gun in the back near Fujita) and burying his body in another location. Later that day, the U.S. Marines patrol found the body Fujita. One Marine's claim Kuribayashi pistols and other claims Fujita's sword as a trophy of war. They then search the area and found a fatigue Saigo with a shovel in his hand. After seeing a pistol tucked in his belt a Marine, swing Saigo angry and wild in America with a shovel. Too weak to fight properly, is Saigo knocked unconscious with rifle butts and taken to a U.S. aid station on the beach. Woke up a few moments later, he briefly sunset, with the ships in the distance, as well as U.S. trucks, and smiled grimly.
The scene shifts back to the Japanese archaeologist who revealed the bag written by Japanese soldiers on the island, was never sent, Saigo buried in 1945. When the letters fall from the bag, the voices of the fallen Japanese soldiers heard reading from them.
