Tadamichi Kuribayashi

Tadamichi Kuribayashi
Tadamichi Kuribayashi
	Kuribayashi in 1943
Native name	栗林忠道
Born	7 July 1891; Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Died	c. 26 March 1945 (aged 53); Iwo Jima, Japan
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service	1911–1945
Rank	General
Unit	1st Cavalry Brigade; 2nd Guards Division; 109th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Hong Kong; Battle of Iwo Jima †;
Awards	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (1967; posthumous); Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure; Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Star (2nd class); Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (3rd class)
Alma mater	Imperial Japanese Army Academy; Army War College; Harvard University

Tadamichi Kuribayashi (栗林忠道, Kuribayashi Tadamichi, 7 July 1891 – c. 26 March 1945) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, diplomat, and commanding officer of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He is best known for having been the commander of the Japanese garrison at the battle of Iwo Jima.

Even before the battle, General Kuribayashi insisted upon sharing the hardships of his men. He also refused to permit banzai charges, which he regarded as an unnecessary waste of his men's lives. The United States Marine Corps had expected to capture Iwo Jima in five days, but Kuribayashi and his men held out for 36 days. It is believed that Kuribayashi was killed in action while leading his soldiers in a night-attack on American troops, but his body was never identified by the United States military. U.S. Marine Corps General Holland Smith said of Kuribayashi that "Of all our adversaries in the Pacific, Kuribayashi was the most redoubtable."