A woman prays for loved ones lost in the Battle of Okinawa during the annual Irei no Hi ceremony at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa, Friday, June 23, 2023. (Frank Andrews/Stars and Stripes)

PEACE MEMORIAL PARK, Okinawa — The first post-pandemic anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa drew tightened security and thousands of people to remember one of World War II’s bloodiest fights.

Over 4,000 people – more than 10 times the number that attended last year’s abbreviated Irei no Hi ceremony – braved the sun and suffocating humidity Friday at Okinawa Peace Memorial Park to mark the 78th anniversary of end of the 2 ½-month-long battle.

Dressed mostly in black, they laid flowers, left food offerings and lit incense.

This year's annual ceremony followed the July assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and an incident nine months later in which a young man tossed a small explosive device at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was uninjured.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the Irei no Hi ceremony at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa, Friday, June 23, 2023. (Frank Andrews/Stars and Stripes)

Kishida spoke at Friday’s ceremony in the memorial park.

“The peace and prosperity we have is thanks to the war dead and the difficult history that Okinawa has gone through,” he told hundreds who gathered under a white tent. “I will not let the horrors of war happen again.”

Yamaniha Soichi, 89, of Tamagusuku, recalled dodging U.S. military vehicles as an 11-year-old during the battle. His father, Kakyu, a village chief, and a sister died in the fighting, he said.

“I didn't know how horrible war was at that time,” he said. “I was surprised to see the number of deaths.”

The Battle of Okinawa began April 1, 1945, and lasted 82 days. More than 14,000 Americans, about 110,000 Japanese troops and at least 140,000 Okinawan civilians were killed during or after the fighting.

A woman prays for loved ones lost in the Battle of Okinawa during the Irei no Hi ceremony at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa, Friday, June 23, 2023. (Frank Andrews/Stars and Stripes)

The battle, which turned much of the island into a scorched hellscape, was pivotal for the Allies. With airfields close to the Japanese mainland firmly in their possession, they could begin the war's final assault.

However, the fighting’s intensity helped influence the decision to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki several months later.

Reverberations from the carnage are still evident today in the island's anti-war movement.

Japanese police lined the roads as attendees began pouring onto the grounds early Friday.

Lt. Gen. James Bierman Jr., commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, speaks to Marines during the Irei no Hi ceremony at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa, Friday, June 23, 2023. (Frank Andrews/Stars and Stripes)

That morning, the commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, Lt. Gen. James Bierman Jr., addressed about 50 Marines in front of the Cornerstone of Peace, a granite monument etched with the names of hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives in the battle.

“I think it’s natural that we balance a real sense of loss and sadness” with “feelings of strong pride and inspiration,” he told them. The legacy of those who lost their lives is the alliance between the U.S. and Japan, he added.

Words failed Navy Capt. Patrick Dziekan, commander of Fleet Activities Okinawa, as he gazed upon the rows of names for the first time.

“It’s a little overwhelming seeing all the names on the walls down here,” he said to Stars and Stripes.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki speaks during the Irei no Hi ceremony at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa, Friday, June 23, 2023. (Frank Andrews/Stars and Stripes)

During the ceremony, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki railed against noise, pollution, aircraft mishaps and crimes perpetrated by U.S. service members. He again requested that Tokyo abandon the construction of a Marine Corps runway at Camp Schwab. Kishida, speaking after the governor, vowed to reduce the heavy burden U.S. bases placed on the island.

A minute of silence was observed at noon.

Itoman resident Miki Ishida, 34, brought her three small children to pay respects to several relatives who lost their lives.

“I want my kids to know about the past,” she said next to her son, Eito.

“I think that it is important that each of us think that war is a bad thing,” the 8-year-old said softly. “I want to keep coming here and praying for peace.”