Flag Raising, Iwo Jima

Description

The famous photograph by Rosenthal of the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima has sometimes been considered a staged or faked event. There were two flag-raisings that day. The first flag (photographed by a combat cameraman) was not easily seen from the beaches, where troops were still taking heavy fire. A second, larger flag was raised the same day so that it could be seen. It is this second flag-raising that Rosenthal recorded as an AP photographer on the scene.