I love this pic, it makes me proud to be an American. Rifles, Marines, and the Flag, what else could one ask for.

sorry if its slow loading.

[img]http://www.iwojima.com/iwojima/raising/l721flag.gif[/img]

I put in my webshots desktop and made it my wallpaper.


GO USA!

Are you aware of the significance of this photo?

As I heard it, it is the one Joe Rosenthal took on Iwo Jima that he posed.  The one that he shot candidly of the smaller party raising the flag caught the attention of an editor and got him the Pulitzer.

Now you know the rest of the story!

Sure its posed. I still like it though.

ECS:

Not the point.  Great photo, especially for Marine history.

I just didn't know if you were aware it was the twin of the Mt. Suribachi flag raising, also by Rosenthal.

Tough bunch- glad they're ours.

As the Duke of Wellington said about some of his own men, "I don't know whether they frighten the enemy, but by God, they certainly frighten me."[;D][:D]      

SF,

If it is Rosethal's photo, it seems to me that you this is a photo about real people – all of them who are still alive are about over 80yrs by now. But all are clearly individuals, yet average guys, who became heroes when the need arose.

As such, they are not a characterization, they are real thing, unstaged – just look at them!
Perhaps they constitute the best photo of all.

Just to add. When the photo of the second flag raising on Suribachi(the famous one) came out in the states Rosenthal had not yet seen it when he was asked by another news man if the photo was staged. He thought the man was referring to the photo in this thread and said that it was posed. What followed was years of controversy over the famous photo. Now you know the rest of the rest of the story. BTW if you have not yet read "Flags of our fathers" get it and read it ASAP. Next month is the 57th anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima. Just to add that those are some of the men of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division who went up Suribachi and raised both flags. You can see kneeling at the far left holding up an M-1 carbine is Ira Hayes. In the rear near Hayes holding an M-1 straight up with a bayonet is Franklin Sousely one of the second flag raisers killed later on Iwo Jima. The marine with his thumbs in his pockets is Mike Strank another of the second flag raisers also killed later on Iwo Jima. Holding up a helmet in the rear next to Sousley is Navy Corpsman John "Doc" Bradley another of the second flag raisers he was wounded but survived the battle and was the last living member of the second flag raisers. He died in 94.

The Marine in the Soft cover is Hank Hansen one of the first flag raisers also killed later on Iwo Jima.

I saw that on the history channel!

I stopped surfing when I heard the name "Suribachi"

True Patriots
Most of those guys never made it off of Iwo alive!

Perhaps I am confused by staged and orchestrated'.

However, it would seem to me that this thread's photo was clearly "staged" (like, I know it wasn't a G–D accident!), but nothing like the "famous photo". To me, that clearly was an orchestrated shot.

But what the Hell? What the f*ck do I know – they're both grat shots – for different reasons.

I almost get tears to my eyes when I see this picture.  These were (are) great men. We owe them more than ever could be repaid.

Notice Ira Hays sitting on the left side of the photo.  

flash66,

"...almost get tears in my eyes"!

Christ, I'm G–D Limey and I DO get tears in my eyes. Heroism is international, it has no boundries, it's an absolute. It  can even be totally misguided and wrong but, its any individual's committment to what they believe to be true – no matter what nation, no matter what the nationality, no matter what the era. And that individual's resolve to complete the mission is always heroic.

Remember Kipling? – "You're a better man than I am Gunga Din"?

Many brave men in that photo, as the quote goes, "Uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Odds are that most of those guys did not walk off of Iwo.

Sukebe:

  That was the source of my info as well.  I was unaware that Rosenthal made that comment without seeing the photo and was under the illision for a long time that the memorial photo was staged.  Rosenthal didn't even know he had it till they told him.

stcyr:

  Short war story.  At my wedding (oops, not part of this combat story), I had a saber arch of SF friends of mine and a retired Sergeant Major who was of Japanese descent and from Hawaii was in charge.

  My wife had friends from out of town attend, and one of them was an older Scot, who was married to a Chinese lady from Hong Kong.

  Turns out, during the libations that my SGM friend and the Scot had served in Korea in the same area and time. They knew one another's units.

  It truly is a small world and it warmed my heart to see these two old warriors from completely different cultures drinking and swapping stories.

95thFoot:

As the Duke of Wellington said about some of his own men, "I don't know whether they frighten the enemy, but by God, they certainly frighten me."

Great quote from Wellington, of many from him, but my favorite is the response he sent from Portugal when asked to account for deficiencies in his Army inventory.  His reply was something along the lines of:

"I can account for everything except one case of jam and six shillings from the officers mess fund.

My understanding was that I was sent here with this army to defeat Napoleon.

I can either look for the missing property, or fight Napoleon, but not both.

Which do you prefer for me to do?"

STCYR

I have never read Kipling althought I recognize the quote.  However, my great, great grandfather, who was a Confederate soldier, once wrote in a letter after the battle of Cold Harbor "My tears would not do justice to the brave men who charged my bayonet".

Most of the men in that photo died shortly after the picture was taken.  All free men should shed tears when they see pictures like this.  

Easy Company started with 310 men. We suffered 75% casualties. Only 50 men boarded the ship after the battle. Seven officers went into the battle with me. Only one--me--walked off Iwo."
. . . Captain Dave Severance,
. . . Easy Company Commander (the Flag Raising Company)

They have that happy to be alive kind of look on their faces.

ECS. You are kept for a reason. We like you. The "Spirit of Freedom" rests on you.

It doesn't change the condition of the heart if its posed!