A Hike Through History: Local duo produces film on Iwo Jima
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Two Blair County men have produced a documentary that provides a walking tour of Iwo Jima, the pivotal World War II battlefield.
"I Hiked Iwo Jima: A Virtual WWII Battlefield Tour" can be found on the YouTube channel Reel History, created by friends Jared Frederick and Andrew Collins.
Created during the pandemic, the YouTube channel most often focuses on correcting errors in filmmaking about historical events, but the local WWII reenactors forge a new path in this 90-minute tour.
Frederick captured one of 300 coveted spots to visit the remote volcanic island in the Pacific on March 25, the sole day of the year visitors are permitted by the Japanese government. Considered a sacred memorial site, visitors adhere to a formal dress code that accentuates the 90-degree heat.
During WWII, several months of air bombing and naval assaults preceded the land invasion on Feb. 19, 1945, but the battle on the eight-square miles of Iwo Jima began when Marines invaded the black sand and volcanic ash beaches. The critical win came at great cost: Of the 70,000 Marines and 18,000 Japanese who took part in the battle, about 7,000 Marines were killed and another 20,000 wounded, according to the National WWII Museum. The Japanese forces numbered about 18,000, with only 216 defenders captured when the battle ended on March 26, 1945.
Frederick, an assistant professor of history at Penn State Altoona, manned the camera fitted with a stabilizer during his seven-hour visit to Iwo Jima. Collins tackled the task of editing more than three hours of video footage and interviews. The images and information are enhanced with overlays of maps to orient the viewer. For Collins, a self-taught editor, the challenge was to retain information and preserve the "you are there" feeling, the Army veteran said.
"I wanted to try to incorporate the picture and videos and what he was speaking about in his narration and not break from the continuous footage from the minute he walked off the airfield," Collins said.
The pair were unconcerned about length.
"We set out to make this one-of-a-kind Iwo Jima tour video, and we felt that if someone is going to watch this, they'll watch it no matter how long it is," Collins said.
Nearly 50,000 viewers have watched since it was posted Dec. 5 and elicited a number of comments, such as this from Nealmccoy5727: "Pure awesomeness. Lots of Iwo Jima tour videos out there, but most are low production quality and don't go that in-depth about the battle. This video had great production value and allowed me to learn a lot more about the battle than I knew before. Well done."
And from Jannibc: "This was outstanding. Real, raw, honest, and moving."
Viewers walk with Frederick and a few others up to Mount Suribachi, the site of two iconic U.S. flag raisings on Feb. 25, 1945. Serving as narrator and filmmaker, the arduous physicality of the trek is evident as Frederick follows Military Historical Tour Guide James Oelke-Farley. Both are breathing heavily due to heat, the 10% grade up the 500-foot mountain and a fast-walking pace necessitated due to time constraints. Frederick had the added burden of his filming equipment, water and survival essentials that added up to about 25 pounds.
Along the way, Frederick chats with other visitors, many of them Marines or relatives of the Marines who fought there. Frederick's grandfather, David E. Frederick, served on USS Lowndes. He suffered appendicitis nine days prior to the battle and had surgery on the ship, which spared him from the battle. There are several impactful stories shared by the elder Frederick through his letters home that personalize the batte's recounting.
Frederick had this trip planned for March 2020, but it was delayed due to the travel restrictions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Altoona CPA and military history aficionado David Scott facilitated Frederick's connection to the Iwo Jima Association of America. Scott serves as the national organization's treasurer.
"What we were trying to do is offer this visual of a place that is so remote and hasn't been widely recorded," Frederick said. "I think it's safe to assume that this is the most heavily filmed, virtual tour of this type that is available to the public and we're very proud of having done that."
Access to explore the island is limited, and the 10-mile walk to Mount Suribachi allowed him to only "scratch the surface" of what remains there. Shrapnel, aircraft debris and ship wreckage dot the island and its beaches.
"If you want to understand a battle, you really have to go in to see the place yourself," Frederick said. "That's especially true for a place like Iwo Jima. It's very otherworldly and surreal. I think one thing that really did stand out to me was the preponderance of debris that is everywhere still."
The video captures how much the island has changed since 1945. Then, it was described as similar to a lunar landscape. Today, the island has risen 30-feet and is shrouded in an overgrowth of vegetation. Its state is preserved by the duo's efforts.
Somebody could find this video an awesome historical snapshot of the island, Frederick said.
Mirror Staff Writer Patt Keith is at 814-949-7030.