| The first flagraising atop Mount Suribachi by E Company, Second Battalion, 28th Regiment, Fifth Marine Division. Visible are First Lieutenant Harold G. Shrier (sitting behind Jacobs), Private First Class Raymond Jacobs, Sergeant Henry Hansen (cloth cap), Unknown (lower hand on pole), Sergeant Ernest “Boots“ Thomas (back to camera), Pharmacist‘s Mate Second Class John Bradley (helmet above Thomas), Private First Class James Michels (with M1 carbine), and Corporal Charles Lindberg (above Michels). On the morning of February 23, 1945, Lieutenant Schrier was ordered to take a reinforced platoon of 40 men to the top of Mount Suribachi, the extinct volcano that dominated Iwo Jima, and if he made it to the top, to raise an American flag. Significant Japanese elements were still occupying the area, but after sustained bombardment from aircraft and battleships, they remained inside their caves and tunnels. The patrol was unmolested as they reached the top at 1020 Hours. Charles Lindberg said, “Two of our men found a great big long pole up there, about 20-feet long. We tied the flag to it, carried it to the highest spot we could find, and raised it. Boy, then the island came alive down below. The troops started to cheer, the ships‘ whistles went off, it was quite a proud moment.“ Scattered Japanese resisters threw grenades and opened rifle fire when the flag went up. The flag, 54 by 28 inches from the transport USS Missoula (APA-211), was deemed to be too small, and a larger flag from LST-779 was brought to the top and replaced the First one. Little fanfare from the ships and men below accompanied the second flag raising. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1107.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.25 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 2949 x 3747 |
| Photographer | Lowery, Lou |
| Photographer Title | United States Marine Corps |
| Caption Author | Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | February 23, 1945 |
| Location | Mount Suribachi |
| City | Iwo Jima |
| State or Province | Bonins |
| Country | Japan |
| Archive | Library of Congress |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2007, ©2024 MFA Productions LLC Image in the Public Domain |
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