On February 20, as Lieutenant Colonel Johnson ordered his Marines to advance toward Mount Suribachi, he said It's going to be a hell of a day in a hell of a place to fight the damned war! His battalion suffered significant casualties and only advanced 200 yards that day. Johnson sent a message to 5th Marine Division headquarters in which he stated enemy defenses much greater than expected. There was a pillbox every ten feet. By February 22, the Marines had surrounded Suribachi.