Iwo Jima

The Photograph

Probably the most famous photo in history, the image of six men raising an American Flag on Iwo Jima captivated people across the globe (on right). What many people don't know, however, is that the flag being raised in the photo was not the first flag raised on Iwo Jima. It was, in fact, the second to be raised that day. The photo of the first flag raising (on the left) arrived in the United States after the second one, leading the entire country to believe the second photo was of the first flag raising. The famous photo was somewhat of a miracle; the photographer who took it saw the flag raising out of the corner of his eye, swung around, and quickly snapped off a photo. Little did he know that his split second picture would become one of the most loved photos of all time. From left to right in the second photograph, the soldiers are: Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley*, Michael Strank*, John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Harlon Block* 
 
* = Killed on Iwo Jima. Sousley by sniper, Strank by friendly fire, and Block by mortar blast