- One of the most famous images in the upcoming Pulitzer exhibition at the Haggin will be the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi during World War II. Ironically, the photographer, Joe Rosenthal, had been rejected as a military photographer by the Army and Navy due to impaired eyesight. It was while serving as a combat photographer for the Associated Press that he was sent to the small Pacific island of Iwo Jima.
On February 23, 1945, Rosenthal was only part way up the mountain when the Marines raised a small American flag to celebrate the capture of Mount Suribachi, a volcano on the island’s southern end. By the time he reached the top, they had decided to substitute a larger flag that could be seen all over the island. It was this moment that Rosenthal captured.
“Out of the corner of my eye ... I had seen the men start the flag up. I swung my camera and shot the scene.”
This year (2005) marks the 60th anniversary of this photograph that captured a brief moment of glory in one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Over 6,800 American troops were killed, including three of the marines in the photograph. Rosenthal’s image endures as a memorial to their sacrifice.
Susan
