The battle of Kunishi Ridge was the fought by the men of the 1st Marine Division. The ridge is a steep, coral escarpment which totally dominated the surrounding grass lands and rice paddies. The ridge was and still is honeycombed with enemy caves and tunnels, however many of the larger ones have been sealed over the years. It was amply covered from behind by Maezado Ridge 500 yards (450 meters) further south. Large caves still remain at ground level on the north side of the ridge and must have concealed anti-tank weapons. Remnants of the veteran Imperial Japanese Army's 32nd Infantry Regiment occupied and defended Kunishi's many hidden bunkers.

 

  These were the last of Ushijima's organized, front-line troops, and they had the firepower to knock out twenty-one Shermans before they were annihilated. A modern library is now located on top of the ridge and a friendly Okinawan family has a mini farm on a large part of the ridgetop. They were able to point out many features and talk about the veterans who have returned to the site over the years.