MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Photographer Joe Rosenthal captured a photograph of five Marines and one sailor raising an American flag that has remained a symbol of pride for generations.
February 23, 1945 marks the day that Sgt. Michael Strank, Cpl. Harlon Block, Pfcs. Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Rene Gagnon and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class John Bradley raised a flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Iwo Jima is a mainland Japanese island. The Marines’ objective was to secure several airfields that were strategically located to perform strikes against the other Japanese territories.
The United States began its attack on Iwo Jima with a Naval artillery bombardment. Once the Navy finished the shelling, more than 70,000 troops invaded Iwo Jima on Feb. 19.
Although heavily bombed, more than 20,000 underground Japanese defenders remained in hidden bunkers and tunnels. The defenders made it difficult for the U.S. forces to complete any objective by attacking from hidden locations.
The U.S. troops began with Mount Suribachi, a mountain that allowed Japanese to fire on the U.S. forces anywhere on the island.
The U.S. forces moved up the mountain after intense fighting on Feb. 22. Marines commanded by Lt. Harold Schreir reached the top on Feb. 23 and raised an American flag.
“Down below, the troops started to cheer, the ship’s whistles went off, it was just something that you would never forget,” said Charles Lindberg, who participated in the first flag raising, in a 2003 interview with the associated press. “It didn’t last too long, because the enemy started coming out of the caves.”
The Marines took the flag down later and replaced it with a larger flag, a moment that Rosenthal captured and made famous to the population stateside. The three flag raisers that survived the battle – Hayes, Gagnon and Bradley – traveled back to the U.S. to promote the sale of war bonds.
Although the photograph portrayed victory at Iwo Jima, the battle continued for another month and ended on March 26, 1945. The casualties on both sides were extremely high and accounted for about one-third of Marine casualties for the war.
A memorial depicting the second flag raising located in Washington D.C. stands as a reminder of all Marines who have served since the founding of the Marine Corps.
The chances of a single photograph inspiring a nation for more than 60 years is a rare occurrence, but the Rosenthal photograph has been a source of pride for millions of Americans who remember those who fought to keep their country free.
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