66 years ago this iconic photo was taken

[Pat Carry]

I forgot to post this yesterday. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_th ... n_Iwo_Jima I have a couple of photos of the flag raising in my collection. It is one for the ages and at least the greatest photo to come out of WW2.

[BK]

I forgot to post this yesterday. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_th ... n_Iwo_Jima I have a couple of photos of the flag raising in my collection. It is one for the ages and at least the greatest photo to come out of WW2.

Nice, but done for public consumption. I prefer the real deal done for the those who were there:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... aising.jpg

[Steve Nelson]

For the entire story of both flag raisings and the entire campaign I suggest the book "Flags Of Our Fathers." It was a real eye-opener for me.

SN

[wls3]

Both Flags are at the National Museum of the Marine Corp in Quantico VA.
They alternate their display. One was raised before the other.
Both Flags are the real deal.

As Steve said, "Flags of our Fathers" an informative read on the raising of both flags and the photos from both.

Of all the things I've have been able to see from the WWII, this was the most moving.
Thanks for posting Pat.

[jet1]

...wrote his own account of the whole thing as a medic with the 5th marines "god isn't here" available from amazon (shameless plug)

[agent86]

We cant even imagine the hell that Iwo Jima was. I have the greatest respect for the poor ba$tards that were there.what a nightmare.

[agent86]

Heck? are you kidding me?I guess satans home is not pc enough for wix.how infantile is that?

[k5083]

It's a great image.

Like any "celebrity" image, overrated in the sense that it is not that much better than thousands of other images, but beyond a certain threshold, fame feeds on itself. Not entirely fair to the corps of WWII photographers on all sides, or even to Rosenthal's body of work. But culture seems to need to pick a handful of visual icons to hang its collective memory on, and certainly none could be more deserving.

An image this popular becomes somewhat the victim of its own success, becoming coopted in ways that approach kitsch, and for very different meanings than its original:



August

[whistlingdeath77]

Both Flags are at the National Museum of the Marine Corp in Quantico VA.
They alternate their display. One was raised before the other.
Both Flags are the real deal.

As Steve said, "Flags of our Fathers" an informative read on the raising of both flags and the photos from both.

Of all the things I've have been able to see from the WWII, this was the most moving.
Thanks for posting Pat.

nice!

[CDF]

Nice, but done for public consumption. I prefer the real deal done for the those who were there:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... aising.jpg

How so ?

Many don't realise that Doc Bradley was part of raising both flags on Iwo.

http://www.iwojima.com/raising/first.htm

[John Dupre]

I forgot to post this yesterday. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_th ... n_Iwo_Jima I have a couple of photos of the flag raising in my collection. It is one for the ages and at least the greatest photo to come out of WW2.

Nice, but done for public consumption. I prefer the real deal done for the those who were there:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... aising.jpg

What do you mean? The first raising was photographed and that photo was out for public consumption as well. The second flag raising was done in order to make the fact of capturing the peak of Suribachi more obvious since the first flag was smaller and I think not quite on the crest. Rosenthal was a master photographer who understood what he wanted to capture and worked at his position to make the best use of the view and his equipment. Even then the actual raising caught him by surprise and he literally snapped the photo and had no idea if the image was good or not until after it was in print and a national sensation. The impact of Rosenthal's image was so strong that the facts of his photo being the second raising were lost for many years but it was never something he denied.

[Pat Carry]

The photo is also responsible in large part for the tremendously successful 7th war bond drive. Tens of millions of dollars were raised to keep the GI's figthing until the war's end.

[BK]

Nice, but done for public consumption. I prefer the real deal done for the those who were there:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... aising.jpg

How so ?

Many don't realise that Doc Bradley was part of raising both flags on Iwo.

http://www.iwojima.com/raising/first.htm

There was a documentary on the flag raising years ago. Someone in charge wanted a larger flag put up so it was easier to see and didn't want the first flag looted, so hours later they made the iconic flag raising everyone knows. One of the veterans interviewed said when the first flag was raised there was a lot of cheering from the soldiers, a real morale boost be it short lived or not there was still a lot fighting and bloodshed to come. He said not much notice was given when the second flag went up and then said (paraphrasing) "The first flag raising was for us, the second one was for everyone else."

[CDF]

OK I've just never heard it referred to like that before

[Steve Nelson]

Being mainly interested in the aerial side of WWII, I was embarrassingly ignorant of the particulars of the Iwo campaign until reading "Flags." I always assumed that the flag raising was done to celebrate the final victory..I never knew it occurred on the third day of an incredibly bloody and brutal month-long campaign, and that three of the men in the iconic photo never made it off the island alive. And even for those who did, life still had challenges. Ira Hayes' story is particularly tragic.

I also recommend Bradley's book "Flyboys," which really gets into the brutality of the Japanese during the Pacific campaign. Beware though, he notes some rather unseemly bits of America's history as well (namely our treatment of Native Americans during the country's formative years, and Filipinos during the Spanish American War.)

SN