The small, 3x5 mile island is only about 3 miles off the coast of Okinawa and had to be neutralized as it had a long aircraft runway on it.  You can see the scorched terrain at the base of the volcano core. That was the result of flame throwers used to rout out the last of the Japanese resistance. Conquering the island took only a few days, but it cost the life of Ernie Pyle, the famed WWII journalist.  In-between bombings and strafing life was humdrum; passing a football was one way of passing time.