This monument is dedicated to the young boys who served during the Battle of Okinawa alongside General Ushijima and his army as members of the Blood and Iron Corps (or Tekketsu Kinnotai). Nearly 1,500 strong, the unit included a large contingent from the Okinawa Normal School in Shuri, which was activated on March 31, 1945, one day before the American invasion of Okinawa.

Many of these young men, most of whom were of middle school age, had received minor military training at school (this did not include any sort of arms training), and had been taught that it was their duty to fight the enemy for the cause of their emperor. Though some served in light duty capacities, such as messengers and laborers, others were sent to the front lines, sometimes armed with little more than sticks. Casualties ensued.

As the battle neared its conclusion around June 19, 1945, many of the young men who remained in the Blood and Iron Corps were encouraged to take their own lives rather than surrender to American forces. Of the Normal School recruits, some 226 of 386 lost their lives in the battle. The surviving alumna raised money for the Kenji-no-To monument, which is located in the western portion of Peace Prayer Park. Among the survivors was Masahide Ota, a man who later became governor of Okinawa Prefecture.