Iwo Jima
Shake Davis had his gear staged and ready to load aboard the airplane that brought the returning veterans to Iwo Jima. His request for an extension had been denied by Japanese government authorities. His buddy in the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces apologized profusely when Shake called him to see if there was a way to get around the situation and stretch the visit. Absent some dramatic breakthrough which Shake had failed to produce, he was going to have to bow to Japanese sensitivity and leave Iwo Jima’s ghosts where they had rested for more than 60 years. The only bright note was that his Japanese military contact seemed confident he could get Shake back on the island next year, perhaps for a longer stay and with a larger research team.
Shake watched the old vets, all es
