Raising the Flag at Iwo Jima – Joe Rosenthal

“Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen the men start the flag up. I swung my camera and shot the scene. That is how the picture was taken, and when you take a picture like that, you don’t come away saying you got a great shot. You don’t know.” – Joe Rosenthal

“Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century. Taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945, the photo shows six soldiers raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi after a successful battle against the Japanese. The image was widely circulated in newspapers and magazines, and it came to symbolize the American spirit of determination and resilience. Rosenthal won a Pulitzer Prize for the photograph, and it now hangs in the Smithsonian Institution. The soldiers in the photo were all members of the United States Marine Corps, and three of them were killed shortly after the picture was taken. The surviving soldiers continued to fight in the Battle of Iwo Jima, which lasted for another month. In total, more than 6,000 Americans were killed in the battle, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in American history. But thanks to Joe Rosenthal’s photograph, Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima remains an enduring symbol of American courage and sacrifice. ” (24 Most Famous Photographs Ever Taken).