"Raising of the Flag" - Symbol of Victory on Iwo Jima
February 23, 1945
February 23, 1945 is one of the most famous days in American history, it is also the day that one of the most recognizable photographs of World War II was produced. The "raising of the flag" was captured by photographer, Joseph John Rosenthal, a Marine commentator. The historic photograph won Mr. Rosenthal a Pulitzer prize and it was later chosen by Felix de Weldon to sculpt the USMC War Memorial, which is located next to the Arlington National Cemetery.
Although there was controversy concerning the exact circumstances of the event, a Marine photographer, Louis Lowery, also took motion pictures that helped prove that the raising of the flag was not staged. A less famous photo taken that day featured 18 United States troops, smiling and waving at the camera. However, the victory turned to tragedy as many of the men in that photograph and three of the six shown raising the flag was killed before the end of the battle.
During World War II, winning the battle on the island of Iwo Jima was crucial for the United States to take control of the air fields on Mount Suribachi. Located half-way between Japan and Mariana Island, where United States bombers were based, the air fields at Mount Suribachi were used by the Japanese to warn Japan that enemy aircraft was approaching. Gaining control of the air strips made the perfect refuge for damaged United States bombers to land, saving many American lives.
Taking control of the Island of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. By March 3rd, 1945 the United States had gained control of the three air fields on Mount Suribachi, however more than 6,000 Americans lost their lives on Iwo Jima.
President Harry S. Truman officially announced the end of World War II on August 14, 1945.
Source: http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/r/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima.htm
Published by Judy Kaelin
Retired with fifteen years experience in the Administrative Offices of a school district. She is interested in writing articles based on personal experience and research of health issues. She has an intere... View profile
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11 Comments
Post a CommentThank you for this excellent historical review of a crucial time!
Great recap of history. I enjoyed this, Judy!
Well done!
My dad is a WWII Navy Corpsman - thanks for writing this :) cheers
Interesting! Great job!
Great article. Love the cat photo.
♥ excellent writing
Great reminder of a time when raising our flag was a symbol of pride.
A great piece of history.
The magnitude of the history in that moment is unmeasurable!