Chichi Jima Photo Archive
by William Alderfer, 1952

William Alderfer adds:
“I was aboard the USS Sperry AS-12 sub tender back in 1952, we set up a sub base there for about a week.  Our subs would come there and get Supplies. I went ashore and found things and places you would never think this island could have.  You could travel though the mountains in tunnels, and see all the gun in placement. There were old  torpedo laying on the ground. We found a cave full of gasoline, maybe 500 55 gallon drums. There were about 50 natives living there and grew bananas. The marines were defusing the island. There was a ship in the harbor with the side shot out. There was an airplane wing laying on the beach.”