Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

Widescreen: Syria

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

by John Little on 23/02/2007

Dear family and friends,

Sixty-two years ago today, AP photographer Joe Rosenthal snapped a photo of five U.S. Marines and one Navy Corpsman raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima.

The 37-day Battle for Iwo (February-March 1945) was only in its fourth day when the six Americans raised the colors.

As the flag went up, thousands of Marines and sailors across the island began cheering, as did sailors witnessing the event offshore. Ships’ horns and whistles began blowing. From the main deck of USS Eldorado, a beaming Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal turned to Marine General Holland M. ‘Howlin’ Mad’ Smith and exclaimed, “Holland, the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years.”

Rosenthal’s picture, which would become the most famous combat image of the war, ultimately won a Pulitzer.
Here it is [link]

Three of the six men who raised the flag would soon be among the nearly 7,000 Americans killed during the battle.

An unbroken line of those Marines on Iwo has continued: Survivors of the battle returned home to train new Marines. The newly trained Marines trained the next generation, then that generation trained the next, then the next, and so on.

Today, the descendents of those Marines who fought and died on Iwo Jima – having gone through the same boot camps at Parris Island and San Diego and wearing the same eagle, globe, and anchor – are now fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other corners (some unknown) of the world in the war on terror.

Semper Fidelis

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There are 7 comments in this article:

24/02/2007mullah cimoc says:

Mullah Cimoc say:

Ameriki need google: mighty wurlitzer +cia

this him teach media not free is usa. this not amerika of mr. thomas jefferson .

the fox news espeically bad for design for only most stupid 20% of amerika people. this kind of admission of guilt. admit stupidest of aemrikans when admit watching the fox news.

this william kristol. who am him. why rupert murdoch pay and pay for this magazine never make profit, never come close for make profit.

this admission weekly standard magazine not for make money but for be part of mighty wurlitzer keep ameriki people so stupid.

and this juan williams. him fake liberal? is this trick or this dumb dumb man make the comment?
26/02/2007clampett says:

Semper Fi,

Lord knows the nation needs good troops in this time of need. I know that my ancestors didn’t freeze and starve at valley forge so that one day I would be misled by the propaganda of self immolating leftists. (like mullah cimoc, a person I suggest you frag, admin)

Now, I’d probably curl up in a ball and cry if shelled, but I have a deep respect for the soldiers who study war while I study engineering.

I love and respect them.

“Today, the descendents of those Marines who fought and died on Iwo Jima – having gone through the same boot camps at Parris Island and San Diego and wearing the same eagle, globe, and anchor – are now fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other corners (some unknown) of the world in the war on terror.”

Thats God’s honest truth, thanks for posting John.
26/02/2007clampett says:

er, I don’t suggest fragging Cimoc if s/he’s mocking the left.. I even can’t tell the differnce these days.
27/02/2007Denny says:

Cimoc leaves stupid, childish comments on my blog, too.

But, I have come here to bring good news of great joy!

A new political party is being offered to the tens of millions of Americans who feel that the Republican party and the DemocRAT party have NOT led them to achieve what they really want our government to do for them.

They want their borders secured and their immigration laws ENFORCED NOW! They want tax reform-and they want it ASAP! They want much more efficient, innovative and effective SMALLER government that gives them more bang for their hard-earned buck. They want Senate rules that do not allow an up or down vote for all executive appointment to the federal judiciary changed to allow a constitutional up or down vote. They want their second amendment right to keep and BEAR arms VIGILANTLY protected! They believe America’s best and brightest days are YET to come! They yearn for REAL change that PRODUCES real results that truly satisfies their good desires for their families, America’s future and their posterity. And, they want it all RIGHT NOW!

The new party is called the ‘New Republican Party’ and can be further studied at my website. This party is what we, and millions of others like us, have all been searching for…but it has never existed before…until NOW!
2/03/2007Peruyera says:

I have no doubt, that our present warriors have proven beyond a doubt that they can stand shoulder to shoulder with Marines at Iwo. They also understand that it takes sacrifice to preserve freedom..
18/04/2007YoUr MoM says:

Iwo Jima was the most awesomest and one of the greatest battles. Since it was practicly the fight that won the war the other armies had no chance of surviving.
16/10/2007Yvonne Green says:

My father Fred Green was one of the first boots on the beaches of Iwo Jima. Recounting the details many times over during my childhood, I never understood the gravity of his experience until now. I never understood the profoundity of what it means to be a hero propelled by the kind of love that overcomes impossible odds of an enemy driven by hate. That is the miracle of Iwo Jima and as long as we have examples like that and can love our God, family and freedom we can transcend the mere evils that come against us. We can put forth our Davids that will defeat all the Goliaths of the world and continue to lift our flag and renew the spirit that empowered those men who raised the flag there on Iwo Jima.

We visited the memorial in Arlington many times during my childhood. I saw the depths of my fathers pain in the flash of tears that endured like a tide that absorbs everything it touches. It was a destructive force that continued for many years until he died in 1994. I began to grow more curious about it last year. As I see the devouring of our children and the lack of understanding of what we are losing, it is vital for those of us who remain to tell the story. Knowing the personal sacrifices I have experienced and witnessed, I am encouraged that the heroism they displayed will inspire this generation to make the same sacrifices and make a way for our future generations. They were average men who loved and were loved. It was the love they had and the transcendent vision they were endowed with by God and the beauty of family and relationships that sustained them. We need to see that, facing the hatred of the terrorists today. We must not be intimidated by this hatred of life. We must do what our heros have done before us: build our families and our heros will emerge and defeat the enemies in this time. It is the fruit that comes forth when we are invested in life and love. Somehow we have to communicate to our children the importance of building relationships and preserving the virtues that will be worth defending or we will lose everything.

Yvonne Taylor

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