The Heart Of Hell : The Untold Story of Courage and Sacrifice in the Shadow of Iwo Jima

On February 17, Landing Craft Infantry 449 was among a dozen gunboats helping to prepare the area for their invasion two days later.

From the towering slopes of Mount Suribachi, Japanese forces opened fire, forcing the U.S. commanders to recalculate battlefield plans. They shelled and bombed the newly discovered enemy positions.

It was a move that saved countless lives two days later, when tens of thousands of Marines stormed the beach at the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Mitch Weiss' The Heart of Hell is the untold story of the crew of Landing Craft Infantry 449.