 On May 29, 1945, Brigadier General Pedro del Valle participated in one of the most important events that led to victory in Okinawa.After five weeks of fighting, del Valle ordered Company A of the 1st Battalion 5th Marines to capture Shuri Castle, a medieval fortress of the ancient Ryukyuan kings.Seizure of Shuri Castle represented a morale blow for the Japanese and was a milestone in the Okinawa campaign.