Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

A long time ago, there was a war.

Marines went to a small island. They went to a place called Iwo Jima. It had a big mountain.

Six men climbed the mountain. They wanted to raise a flag. A man took a photo of them.

The photo became very famous. It shows the men working hard. People still look at the photo today.

During World War II, many battles took place in the Pacific. One big battle was on a volcanic island called Iwo Jima.

The island has a large mountain named Mount Suribachi.

On February 23, 1945, Marines captured the top of the mountain. They raised a small flag first. Later that day, they decided to raise a much larger flag.

Six Marines worked together to lift the new flag.

A photographer named Joe Rosenthal took a photo of them.

The photo shows the men pulling on the pole. This image became very famous in the United States. It won a Pulitzer Prize for photography.

Three of the men in the photo died during the battle. The other three men lived. Today, a big memorial honors all Marines who died in service.

It was built to look like the famous photo.

The photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" is a very famous image.

It shows six United States Marines working together. They are lifting a large American flag on top of a mountain. This mountain is called Mount Suribachi. The photo was taken during World War II. It was captured by a photographer named Joe Rosenthal.

This picture became one of the most recognizable images of the war. It even won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. Many people in the United States saw it in newspapers.

To understand the photo, we must look at the island. Iwo Jima is a volcanic island shaped like a trapezoid.

It is located halfway between Japan and the Mariana Islands. The Japanese used the island to send warnings about American planes. The Americans wanted to capture the island during the Pacific War. They needed to use the island as a landing strip for planes. Mount Suribachi is a large volcanic cone at the southern tip. The top of the mountain was a very important spot.

The flag raising happened in two parts on February 23, 1945. First, a small flag was raised around 10:30 a.m.

A group of Marines led by Harold Schrier climbed the mountain. They attached the first flag to a Japanese iron water pipe. Later that day, the Marines decided to raise a much larger flag.

A larger flag was brought up from a ship. This second flag was 96 inches by 56 inches. It was sewn by a worker named Mabel Sauvageau.

Joe Rosenthal took his famous photo during the second raising. Six Marines are seen in the image. They were Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon Block, and Private First Class Franklin Sousley.

The other three were Ira Hayes, Harold Schultz, and Harold Keller. Three of these men died during the battle on the island. The battle for the island lasted for 31 days. It was not declared secure until March 26, 1945.

This moment has a lasting connection to history today. The photograph inspired the Marine Corps War Memorial.

A sculptor named Felix de Weldon made the memorial. It is located in Arlington Ridge Park near Washington, D.C. The memorial honors all U.S. Marines who died in service since 1775. It looks just like the famous photograph of the six men. The image helps people remember the events of the war.

The photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" is one of the most iconic images of World War II.

It depicts six United States Marines working together to hoist an American flag. This event took place atop Mount Suribachi on the volcanic island of Iwo Jima. The image was captured by photographer Joe Rosenthal for the Associated Press.

Rosenthal's work won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. It quickly became a symbol of American determination during the Pacific War. The photograph helped the public visualize the intense struggle occurring far away.

To understand why the flag was raised, one must understand the geography of Iwo Jima.

The island is a volcanic, trapezoid-shaped landmass located halfway between Japan and the Mariana Islands. The Japanese military used the island as an early warning station. They used it to radio warnings about incoming American bombers. The United States invaded the island on February 19, 1945. They wanted to capture the island to use it as an emergency landing strip. Capturing the island was part of a larger "island-hopping" strategy to defeat Japan.

Mount Suribachi is a dormant volcanic cone at the southern tip of the island.

Because of its height, the top of the mountain was a vital tactical location. Japanese defenders used the vantage point to spot American landing beaches. They could accurately direct artillery fire toward the Marines. The Japanese fought from underground bunkers and pillboxes. Marines often had to use grenades or flamethrowers to disable these positions. The battle for the island was intense and lasted 31 days. It was not declared secure until March 26, 1945.

History shows that there were actually two different flag-raisings on Mount Suribachi.

The first occurred around 10:30 a.m. on February 23, 1945. A 40-man combat patrol led by First Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier climbed the mountain. They attached a small flag to a Japanese iron water pipe. This first flag was too small to be seen easily from the northern side. Because of this, leaders decided to raise a larger replacement flag later that day. This second event is what Rosenthal captured in his famous photograph.

The second flag-raising involved a much larger flag, measuring 96 by 56 inches.

This flag was sewn by Mabel Sauvageau at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Several men were involved in bringing the flag to the summit. Rene Gagnon, a battalion runner, helped transport the flag to the top. The group that raised the flag included Sergeant Michael Strank and his squad. The men in the photograph were Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, Ira Hayes, Harold Schultz, and Harold Keller.

Different historical accounts exist regarding exactly who provided the flag from the ships.

The human cost of the battle was very high for the Marines.

Of the six men pictured in the famous photograph, three were killed in action during the battle. These men were Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon Block, and Private First Class Franklin Sousley. The identities of some men took years to confirm. For example, Harlon Block was identified as Hank Hansen until 1947. Harold Schultz was identified as John Bradley until 2016. Harold Keller was identified as Rene Gagnon until 2019. These corrections show how difficult it was to track details during wartime.

The legacy of the photograph extends far beyond the war itself.

It served as the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial. Sculptor Felix de Weldon created this monument to honor all U.S. Marines. The memorial is located in Arlington Ridge Park near Washington, D.C. It stands as a permanent tribute to those who died in service since 1775. The image remains a powerful connection to the history of the Pacific theater. It continues to represent the courage and teamwork required in moments of great difficulty.