U.S. Marine Corps M4 Sherman tanks advance through the village of Furagan on Okinawa during the 1945 campaign to seize the island. Tank crewmen ride exposed atop the turret while a rifleman stands watch beside traditional thatched Okinawan houses. The Battle of Okinawa, fought from April to June 1945, was the largest and costliest amphibious operation of the Pacific War, intended as a staging ground for the anticipated invasion of Japan. Project: 218500