Flag raisers on Iwo Jima

Flag raisers on Iwo Jima
Name	Flag raisers on Iwo Jima
Caption	Second flag-raising on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, February 23, 1945
Date	February 23, 1945
Location	Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands
Conflict	Battle of Iwo Jima

Flag raisers on Iwo Jima The flag raisers on Iwo Jima refers to two distinct events during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945, when United States United States Marine Corps personnel raised American flags atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, part of the Bonin Islands campaign of the Pacific War. The images and film of the second erection, notably by photographer Joe Rosenthal and cinematographer Bill Genaust, became iconic symbols used by institutions such as the United States government, United States Marine Corps War Memorial, and the United Service Organizations to represent sacrifice and victory during World War II.

Background and context

The operation to capture Iwo Jima was part of Operation Detachment executed by the V Amphibious Corps under Lieutenant General Holland Smith and included units such as the 3rd Marine Division, 4th Marine Division, and 5th Marine Division. The island lay within the defense network of the Empire of Japan, garrisoned by the Imperial Japanese Army commanded by General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. The strategic aim involved escorting B-29 Superfortress missions from the United States Army Air Forces and providing emergency landing fields for United States Navy and United States Marine Corps aircraft. Preceding amphibious landings, naval gunfire support from United States Pacific Fleet battleships, including the USS Tennessee (BB-43) and USS Idaho (BB-42), and carrier aircraft from Task Force 58 suppressed fortifications, while logistics units under ComServPac sustained the invasion.

The first and second flag-raisings

A platoon from E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, led by First Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier, ascended Mount Suribachi and raised the first American flag after securing the summit on February 23. That first flag, hoisted to signal the tactical success to naval vessels including USS LST-779 and support elements of Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, provoked cheers across the beachhead. Later the same day, members of the Battalion Landing Team 2/28 were ordered to replace the smaller flag with a larger standard; a second, larger flag was raised and photographed by Rosenthal and filmed by Marine Corps photographer Bill Genaust. Participants in the second raising included Marines from Platoon 3, E Company and attached personnel; the image captured a moment made part of fundraising drives for the Sixth War Loan and the U.S. Treasury's war bond campaigns.

Identification of the flag-raisers

Initial identifications of the second flag-raisers named individuals such as John Bradley (Navy corpsman), Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, and Harlon Block. Subsequent investigations by entities including the Marine Corps History Division, the National Archives and Records Administration, and independent historians corrected earlier attributions, adjusting names to include Marines such as Harold Schultz, Harold Keller, Rene Gagnon (as messenger), and others associated with E Company. The process involved cross-referencing Rosenthal's photograph, Genaust's motion picture, after-action reports from 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, personal statements, and witness testimony from veterans at reunions sponsored by organizations such as the Marine Corps Association and the American Legion.

Photographs, film, and media impact

Rosenthal's photograph won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography and circulated in publications including The New York Times, Life (magazine), The Washington Post, and Time (magazine). The image and Genaust's footage informed cinematic treatments in works such as the 1949 film "Sands of Iwo Jima" starring John Wayne and later documentaries produced by the United States Information Agency and NBC News. Reproduction by the Associated Press and distribution through Signal Corps channels shaped public perception, influencing memorial design by sculptor Felix de Weldon and national ceremonies at locations like the National Mall and the Marine Corps War Memorial dedication, attended by figures including President Dwight D. Eisenhower and later commemorations by President John F. Kennedy and President Ronald Reagan.

Commemoration and memorials

The image inspired the Marine Corps War Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery, dedicated in 1954 with participation from organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans. Commemorative stamps by the United States Postal Service and monuments in places like Boston, Pittsburgh, and Lubbock, Texas reflect the photograph's role in American remembrance. The flag-raising motif has been used by institutions including the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the Smithsonian Institution, and the American Battle Monuments Commission in exhibitions, and by the United States Marine Corps Reserve during recruitment and ceremonial functions.

Historical controversy and investigations

Controversy over the identities and circumstances of the flag-raisers prompted investigative efforts by the Marine Corps, archival research at the National Archives, and media inquiries by The Boston Globe and The New York Times. Legal and ethical debates touched on wartime propaganda, the role of photojournalism representatives such as the Associated Press and United Press International, and veterans' rights organizations including the American Veterans Committee. Later scholarship by historians from institutions like Brown University, University of Michigan, Naval War College, and independent researchers published in journals such as the Journal of Military History clarified timelines, challenged mythmaking, and reconciled photographic, motion picture, and testimonial evidence to produce updated rosters of participants and a refined public history.

Category:Battle of Iwo Jima Category:World War II photographs Category:United States Marine Corps history