Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/03

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Subject: [Leica] Iwo Jima
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 11:43:31 -0500

It wasn't Carl Mydans, it was Joe Rosenthal who made the pictures.  The
first raising was of a small flag a Marine had in his back pack.  It
couldn't be identified as a US flag from the rest of the island due to its
small size, so they sent up a 'battle flag', which is, I recall, 15 feet
long.  This is what was raised in the 'famous' picture.

Rosenthal got both flag-raisings on film, and both sets of pictures have
been published.  (Incidentally, one of the guys in the first raising, who
is present in the background in the second raising, was Ray Larsen, who was
to be my father's best friend in college after the War.)

Rosenthal was made an 'Honorary Marine' two or three years ago.  He is
still alive, as is Carl Mydans.

Marc


msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!