62 years ago today, US troops raised the Stars and Stripes over Iwo Jima, four days after landing on the Japanese-held volcanic island.
The battle for Iwo Jima was described as the toughest fight in US Marine history by the commander of the Marines in the Pacific, Lt. General M "Howling Mad" Smith.
Photographer Joe Rosenthal took the photo that has come to be an icon in American history.
Some claim that Rosenthal had the photo staged. I have researched that "opinion" and found it not to be credible. The flag raising was a legitimate event and was not staged.
On this day, we need to look at the photo, think about those fine young men, and thank the good Lord above that they were there to serve our country. They are some of the true heroes of their generation.
Link here to a photo montage of the famous event.
2 comments:
The event was not staged. It was an impromptu flag raising.
The photo was taken during an reenactment of the event.
Iwo Jima was needed to save our airmen, who were making the long flights to bomb Japan. Thousands of airmen were saved because they were able to make emergency landings on Iwo Jima. The US Marines who died there, did not die in vain.
That generation was the greatest in the history of our country.
My father fought in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam and I am so proud to say that I am the child of a veteran.
He spoke in his later years of how fierce the fighting was in the Pacific. He said the Japanese would not surrender and would fight to the last man.
He lost a good many buddies in the Pacific. I am glad that they were there for our country.
We will never see another generation like them.
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