One of the first goals of the Americans at Iwo Jima was to capture Mount Suribachi. A common philosophy in battle is to capture the high ground in order so that you can fire down upon the enemy. A large number of American deaths were on the first few days because the Japanese could easily spot the Americans from their elevated spider holes. The Americans captured the 556 foot mount with not much resistance. There were two flag raisings on top of Mount Suribachi. The first of the two (ironically) was the less known one and went almost unnoticed. The first flag raising was of a smaller flag on a longer pole. A picture of that raising is located directly below the text. At the sight of the second flag being raised, many Americans stopped fighting to look up at the symbol that victory was near.
Although the flag was risen in the early part of battle and it would take a month after the flag raising for the Americans to win the battle, the image taken of the second raising was a symbol for the battle, the war, and now the entire US military. The picture is the only picture in history to win the Pulitzer Prize in photography in the same year as it was taken (1945). Today, the image has become one of, if not the most reproduced picture of all-time. The image was made into several statues, the most famous of which is the Marine Corps memorial.
The photograph was taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945. It captured marines Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, Rene Gagnon, and Navy corpsman John Bradley. Within the next couple of days Mike Strank, leader and sergeant over the flag raising (not pictured), Harlon Block, and Franklin Sousley all died while the image was getting famous in The United States. The remaining Rene Gagnon, John Bradley, and Ira Hayes were flown home and became war heroes. They kept denying their heroism and said that the real heroes died on the island.
Although the flag was risen in the early part of battle and it would take a month after the flag raising for the Americans to win the battle, the image taken of the second raising was a symbol for the battle, the war, and now the entire US military. The picture is the only picture in history to win the Pulitzer Prize in photography in the same year as it was taken (1945). Today, the image has become one of, if not the most reproduced picture of all-time. The image was made into several statues, the most famous of which is the Marine Corps memorial.
The photograph was taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945. It captured marines Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, Rene Gagnon, and Navy corpsman John Bradley. Within the next couple of days Mike Strank, leader and sergeant over the flag raising (not pictured), Harlon Block, and Franklin Sousley all died while the image was getting famous in The United States. The remaining Rene Gagnon, John Bradley, and Ira Hayes were flown home and became war heroes. They kept denying their heroism and said that the real heroes died on the island.