Iwo Jima, Japan. Photo: VCG

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday "praised American-Japanese friendship and trust" while attending a memorial service on Iwo Jima to honor those who died in a pivotal World War II battle, according to AP. Hegseth's related remarks have sparked strong criticism from many netizens. They slammed Hegseth's praise of the Japanese military as a desecration of the sacrificed American soldiers in the battle.

According to the AP, Hegseth on Saturday attended a memorial service on Iwo Jima to honor those who died in battle of Iwo Jima. He was joined by his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other officials at Saturday's event.

"We have not forgotten. The bravery of those who fought on Iwo Jima - American and Japanese alike - endures in history, in sacred ground, and the bonds between our nations. Their valor will never fade," the US Department of Defense released Hegseth's remarks on X on Saturday.

The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific theater of World War II, CCTV News reported. 

In February 1945, the US forces fought for over a month to capture the island from the Japanese. Of the 70,000 men assembled for the campaign, nearly 7,000 Marines and Sailors died, and 20,000 more were wounded, according to website of the White House.

Many netizens criticized Hegseth's praise of the Japanese military as a desecration of the sacrificed American soldiers in the battle. Some posted photos of American POWs being tortured by Japanese soldiers, condemning the brutality of the Japanese army as unworthy of remembrance. Others pointed out that Hegseth's "tribute" seems even more hypocritical after the recent removal of a memorial page for Ira Hayes, a Native American soldier and Iwo Jima hero, from the US Department of Defense website. 

"Did you just praise literal fascist troops?" said one netizen. "American finally lost their minds, totally... You know that you were not allies during WWII, right? Right?" commented another X user.

 "The battle between Japan and US. Who does he support? Can he answer who attacked Pearl Harbor?" one netizen criticized.

"They not only have killed scores of Marines but also spread lies among the local Japanese population of the apparent brutality that's coming so people with their whole families were jumping off the cliffs," commented one netizen.

"Such a spit in the face of our nation's heroes… He lacks the respect of the men in the Pentagon. He lacks the respect of our forces," said another X user. 

According to information released by Pentagon, Hegseth is on a trip which includes Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, and Japan. The trip is Hegseth's first official visit to the region.

Hegseth and Gen Nakatani also met on Sunday in Tokyo. Calling Japan a "cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific," the Pentagon indicated that the current US administration would continue to work closely with its key Asian ally, per Reuters.

Global Times