I recently inherited a copy of the 45th Anniversary edition of the "Sands of Iwo Jima" from my late brother, Anthony. We first watched it together on TV, when Anthony was just a little kid and played with G.I. Joes. “Sands” was Anthony’s all time favorite WWII movie.

I never gave much thought about John Wayne as an actor 'til I saw him in this flick. It's no wonder Wayne got his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal as the tough-as-nails Sgt. Stryker that "catapulted [Wayne] from Hollywood leading man to All-American hero". When Wayne's acting was combined with actual combat footage, and the film's superb directing, screenwriting and, cinematography it's no wonder that this flick was a major cinematic event. "Sands" is a moving historical tribute to those who lived, fought and died in one of WWII's most famous battles. I can't recommend it enough.

By Rachel L. Ohlendorf (Whitequeen1) on Unrecorded Date:

I agree! "Sands of Iwo Jima" is on my Top Ten John Wayne Movies list. That's quite a reccommendation from me, considering the fact that The Duke is my hero and I like a lot of his films. I think he did his finest acting work in "Sands" and "The Searchers". In both films, his characters had to deal with insubordinate people, overwhelming numbers of foes, and situations where thinking was as important as shooting.
Anyone who likes watching WWII movies should definitely see John Wayne's contributions, and I believe the finest of those is "The Sands of Iwo Jima".