First, there are a couple things that need to be stated. This picture was not of the first flag raising over on Mt. Suribachi by the USMC. A few hours earlier, just after 10:30 a.m. on February 23, 1945, members of Easy Company, 2/28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, raised a smaller flag. Staff Sergeant Louis R. Lowery, snapped this picture:
The men in this picture are 1st Lt. Harold G. Schrier with Platoon Sergeant Ernest I. THomas, Jr. (both seated), PFC James Michels (in foreground with carbine), Sergeant Henry O. Hansen (standing, wearing soft cap), Corporal Charles W. Lindberg (standing, extreme right).Despite the flag raising, Marine commanders decided that there needed to be a second one. Not because they wanted to get a photo opportunity, but because the flag used was not that big. The flag raised first was off the transport USS Missoula, was only 54 x 28 inches in diameter and hard to see from any distance. A second flag, this one taken off LST 779 and sent up the mountain. It was with this flag, that Rosenthal accompanied the Marines up Suribachi.
Ironically, Rosenthal had been deemed 4F by draft authorities because his eyesight was so bad. By the time of Iwo Jima, he had seen more combat time than most. He had accompanied McArthur's campaign through New Guinea, been in London during the Blitz, and been through U-Boat attacks in the Battle of Atlantic. The shot he had been setting up to take was taken a few minutes later. Apparently, when he was told that his picture had become so iconic, he had to ask which one. He thought it was it was this one:
In actuality, this is the one:
From left to right, the raisers are Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Michael Strank, Rene Gagnon, John Bradley, and Harlon Block. Bradley is the Navy Corpsman, the rest were Marines.(The color film was taken by Sgt. Bill Genaust, USMC, who was killed the next day in the fighting on Iwo Jima)
