You’ve seen it a thousand times. It’s on postage stamps, bronze monuments, and in every high school history textbook across the country. Six men, straining against the wind, hoisting a heavy pipe with the American flag attached to it atop a jagged volcanic peak. Honestly, the picture Iwo Jima flag raising is probably the most iconic photograph in American history. It captures a moment of pure, unadulterated triumph in the middle of a literal hellscape. But here’s the thing: what you think you know about that photo is likely a mix of half-truths and Hollywood polish.
It wasn't the end of the battle. Not even close.
In fact, the famous image Joe Rosenthal snapped on February 23, 1945, wasn't even the first flag raised that day. That’s the part that always trips people up. When those six men pushed that pole into the ground, the island was still a slaughterhouse. Thousands of Marines were still fighting for their lives in the sulfurous caves below. The photo didn't mark the victory; it marked a temporary morale boost in a month-long bloodbath.
The First Flag vs. The Famous One
People usually assume the photo shows the moment the Marines won. Nope.
Around 10:30 a.m. on that Friday, a small 40-man patrol from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, actually made it to the top of Mount Suribachi first. They raised a small flag. It was a 54-by-28-inch ensign they’d managed to find. When that first flag went up, the ships off the coast started honking their whistles. The troops on the beach started cheering. It was a huge deal because Suribachi was the highest point on the island, and the Japanese had been using it to rain artillery down on the landing zones.
But then, things got complicated.
Colonel Chandler Johnson, the battalion commander, decided he wanted that first flag back. He wanted it kept as a souvenir or a historical artifact for the battalion. More importantly, he thought it was too small to be seen clearly from the other side of the island. So, he ordered a second, much larger flag—measuring 96 by 56 inches—to be sent up.
Enter Joe Rosenthal.
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Rosenthal was a photographer for the Associated Press. He had missed the first raising. He was actually trudging up the mountain with two Marines, Pfc. Bob Campbell and Sgt. Bill Genaust, when he heard about the second flag. He almost missed the second one, too. He had to build a little pile of rocks and sandbags to stand on just to get a decent angle. He didn't even look through the viewfinder when he clicked the shutter. He just aimed his Speed Graphic camera and hoped for the best.
One 1/400th of a second changed everything.
A Controversy That Wouldn't Die
For decades, people accused Rosenthal of "posing" the shot. It’s a persistent myth that honestly drives historians crazy. The confusion started because Rosenthal later posed the Marines for a "gung-ho" shot—a group photo of everyone cheering under the flag—after the actual raising was over. When someone asked him later if he posed "the picture," he thought they meant the group shot and said yes.
The actual flag-raising photo? Completely candid.
Who Were the Men in the Photo?
Identifying the men in the picture Iwo Jima flag raising turned into a decades-long detective project for the Marine Corps. For a long time, the official record was just wrong. We’re talking about a chaotic war zone where everyone is covered in dirt and wearing the same gear.
For years, the world thought the six men were:
- Harlon Block
- Rene Gagnon
- Ira Hayes
- Franklin Sousley
- Harold Schultz
- Michael Strank
Wait. That’s the updated list.
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Originally, the Marines identified John Bradley (a Navy corpsman) and Henry Hansen as being in the photo. It wasn't until 2016 and 2019 that the Marine Corps officially corrected the record. It turns out John Bradley wasn't in the famous Rosenthal photo; he was involved in the first flag raising earlier that day. The man originally identified as Bradley was actually Harold Schultz. Then, they realized Henry Hansen wasn't there either—it was actually Harlon Block.
It’s easy to judge the mix-up now, but think about the context. Three of the six men in the photo—Strank, Block, and Sousley—were killed in action just days or weeks after the picture was taken. They weren't around to identify themselves. The survivors were whisked back to the States to sell war bonds, thrust into a celebrity status they never asked for and clearly weren't prepared to handle.
Ira Hayes, a Pima Native American, struggled deeply with this "hero" label. He knew the guys who were still over there dying. He knew the photo was of the second flag, and it ate at him that the guys from the first flag-raising were being ignored. He famously hitched a ride across the country to tell Harlon Block’s family that their son was actually in the photo, even though the government said otherwise at the time.
Why This Image Still Hits Hard
The picture Iwo Jima flag raising has a weirdly perfect composition. It’s almost like a Renaissance painting. The way the men are leaning forward creates a sense of momentum and struggle. It’s not a "pretty" photo. It’s gritty. You can practically feel the weight of that iron pipe.
But why does it rank so high in the American psyche compared to, say, photos from D-Day?
Probably because it symbolizes the transition of the U.S. Marine Corps into a legendary force. Iwo Jima was arguably their toughest fight. The island was basically a giant fortress of tunnels. The Japanese didn't fight on the beaches; they fought from inside the earth. Of the 70,000 Marines who landed, nearly 7,000 died. Over 19,000 were wounded. When you look at that flag, you're looking at a brief moment of hope in a place where hope was in short supply.
The Technical Side of the Shot
Rosenthal used a 4x5 Speed Graphic camera. If you've never seen one, they are bulky, heavy, and definitely not "point and shoot." He was using a shutter speed of 1/400th of a second with an aperture set between f/8 and f/11.
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He didn't even know if he had the shot until the film was processed in Guam days later.
When the photo editor at the AP saw the print, he knew immediately it was something special. He sent it over the wire to New York. Within 17.5 hours of being taken, the image was appearing in newspapers across the United States. In 1945, that was basically light speed. It was the "viral" content of the Greatest Generation.
The Impact on the War Effort
The U.S. government was running out of money. The war was dragging on, and the public was getting tired of the mounting casualties. When this photo hit the front pages, it was like a shot of adrenaline for the home front.
The Seventh War Loan drive used the image as its centerpiece. It raised $26.3 billion—double what the government expected. It’s a bit cynical to think about, but that single photograph literally helped fund the final months of World War II. It gave people a reason to keep buying bonds. It gave them a reason to believe the end was actually in sight.
What Most People Get Wrong
It’s worth repeating: the fighting didn't stop when the flag went up.
The flag was raised on day five of a 36-day battle. Most of the casualties on Iwo Jima happened after the photo was taken. Michael Strank, the sergeant who led the group up the hill, was killed by "friendly" naval gunfire on March 1. Harlon Block died hours later from a mortar shell. Franklin Sousley was killed by a sniper on March 21.
When you look at the photo now, you're looking at a group of men who, for the most part, didn't survive the month. That adds a layer of tragedy that many people overlook when they treat it as a simple "mission accomplished" image.
Actionable Ways to Honor the History
If you really want to understand the weight of the picture Iwo Jima flag raising, you can't just look at the JPEG on your screen. You have to look at the human cost and the physical legacy.
- Visit the Marine Corps War Memorial: Located in Arlington, Virginia, this massive bronze statue is based directly on Rosenthal’s photo. Seeing the scale of it in person is a completely different experience than seeing it in a book.
- Read "Flags of Our Fathers": James Bradley (son of John Bradley) wrote this deep dive into the lives of the men. Even though the identifications in the book were later corrected by the Marine Corps, the book does an incredible job of humanizing the men and describing the sheer brutality of the battle.
- Research the "First Flag" Raising: Take a moment to look up the photos of the first flag-raising by Staff Sergeant Louis R. Lowery. These men deserve just as much recognition for being the first to reach the summit under fire.
- Support Veteran Organizations: Many of the struggles faced by the Iwo Jima survivors—PTSD, difficulty transitioning to civilian life, and health issues—are still faced by veterans today. Organizations like the Semper Fi & America’s Fund or the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation keep these stories alive and help those who served.
The photo is a masterpiece, but it’s also a heavy burden. It’s a reminder that history is often messy, identifications are sometimes wrong, and the most iconic moments of triumph are usually bought at a price we can barely imagine. Next time you see it, look past the flag and look at the hands on the pole. Those were real kids, mostly in their early twenties, doing a job they never expected would make them immortal.