As American forces prepare for the invasion of Japan, the Navy needs a protected anchorage from which to launch such an invasion, and the air force needs a large island to build air bases on near Japan. The island of Okinawa, 300 miles south of Kyushu, fits both needs perfectly. The Japanese, aware of Okinawa's importance, fortify the island and deploy over a hundred thousand troops there. As the US Army and Navy begin the battle for Okinawa, the don't know it yet, but it will become the deadliest battle of World War Two in the Pacific Theater.