A former US Marine (RVN) I truly appreciate you posting Lou Lowrey's image of the first flag raising. I love Rosenthal's iconic photograph but something about the first image has gravity as well. Thank you for this post.
My tears won't stop! We are all being BETRAYED by this Fascist regime. NATO is being betrayed. European partners are being betrayed. Taiwan is being betrayed. Every American who has fought for this nation is being betrayed. Every American military person buried in our national cemeteries is being betrayed. Betrayed not just by trump/musk/vance/vought/et al but by every GOP congress person whether Federal or state, and every damn Democrat who will not speak up and act up! Thank God more and more people at the local level have begun getting the picture and have begun pushing back. This criminal Fascist regime must be deposed! 2026 must come tomorrow not in 600 days! There is nothing legal OR constitutional happening now, and the sooner we accept that and take up the fight the better chance we may have of ending it before the roots go any deeper. We must wake up from this nightmare.
Iwo Jima was an utter killing field, especially after the Marines had to give up using artillery from their ships and had to come onto the beach. Thanks for reminding us of our military's historical sacrifices just as the Demonic Duo is dissing them in every conceivable way, both vets and active duty.
I remember Tony Curtis playing Ira Hayes in "The Outsider," a role that would have been better played by Jay Silverheels even though he was too old for the role at the time. I doubt any Native Americans had any interest in seeing the film.
No matter what the conflict is, the one guarantee in the U.S. military is that the Marines will always get the shit end of the stick. Iwo Jima was the shit end of the shit end. 26,000 casualties total including over 6000 KIA. Twenty seven Medals of Honor were awarded.
The strategic importance of the island has been hotly debated since, given the cost of taking it. By the time Iwo was secured the 20th AF had already switched to night attacks on Japanese cities, mostly obviating the need for fighter escorts. AS for the emergency field argument, over 80% of the B-29s landed to refuel and were not damaged in combat.
And the missions flown by the P-51s were "hanging out on the edge" performance -wise for the distance. there was the mission that lost 2/3 of the planes when they entered a storm front halfway to Japan.
The US had no idea what the Japanese had done on Iwo Jima between July 1944 - when they could have taken it in a day - and February '45 when the 6-day estimate was off by five weeks.
For those who want to know more, I highly recommend the Clint Eastwood movie, "Letters From Iwo Jima," which tells the story of the battle from the Japanese side. Also "Flags of Our Fathers" he did, from the US side.
Suribachi was then and still is an active volcano and the rest of the island of Iwo Jima is riddled with fumaroles, hot springs, quicksand and other hazards. Aircraft that were using the airfield on Iwo had to have all openings covered to prevent the powdery volcanic ash from getting to the moving parts and the blowing ash was like a sandblaster on metal and fabric. The ash was mainly microscopic volcanic glass particles and breathing it could cause respiratory damage over long periods of time.
We visit the Iwo Jima Memorial whenever we have visitors in town. It's the first stop on my "nickel" tour for people who have never been to DC. I tear up walking around that Memorial, it's such an evocative installation. There are two other things that make it even more memorable: its proximity to Arlington National Cemetery and the incredible view from there, right down the National Mall, with the Lincoln Memorial closest, then the Washington Monument, then the US Capitol in the distance. Great photo op!
Thanks, TC. Joe Rosenthal's photo is pretty much perfect. (The one of the first flag is pretty damn good, too.) And thanks for the link to Johnny Cash and the Ballad of Ira Hayes. Tears roll down my cheeks when I hear it.
As I understand it Iwo Jima was some of the most intense fighting of the Pacific war, the Japanese knew how to build defensive fortifications where each one protected several others and they were fighting for their Emperor whom they saw as God, on many of the islands they fought until almost the last man, that was not the case in the European theatre, German generals would surrender if they were in untenable positions and could not break out. I think my father, a Marine pilot was there, but I can’t ask him about it as he is gone to be with my mother now. Thanks Tom for clarifying the story of that iconic photo, I had not known that they used a Japanese water pipe for a flag pole, I had always wondered at the height of it, which would have taken a couple men to carry it up that mountain, instead of weapons and ammo, not a likely choice in that terrible battle.
I’m crying.
I actually cried putting it up, so you're OK. You've certified your membership as a human.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🩷
A huge thanks for sharing this essay and the photos. And the tears slowly falling across my face aren't caused by sliced onions or my hay fever.
Me too.
Me too.
A former US Marine (RVN) I truly appreciate you posting Lou Lowrey's image of the first flag raising. I love Rosenthal's iconic photograph but something about the first image has gravity as well. Thank you for this post.
I think Lowrey's photo shows "the battle was still in doubt."
Thank you Tom - great telling of the background of that incredible photo.
May we have a fraction of the courage these men showed.
I was thinking we need the courage of the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima.
My tears won't stop! We are all being BETRAYED by this Fascist regime. NATO is being betrayed. European partners are being betrayed. Taiwan is being betrayed. Every American who has fought for this nation is being betrayed. Every American military person buried in our national cemeteries is being betrayed. Betrayed not just by trump/musk/vance/vought/et al but by every GOP congress person whether Federal or state, and every damn Democrat who will not speak up and act up! Thank God more and more people at the local level have begun getting the picture and have begun pushing back. This criminal Fascist regime must be deposed! 2026 must come tomorrow not in 600 days! There is nothing legal OR constitutional happening now, and the sooner we accept that and take up the fight the better chance we may have of ending it before the roots go any deeper. We must wake up from this nightmare.
Iwo Jima was an utter killing field, especially after the Marines had to give up using artillery from their ships and had to come onto the beach. Thanks for reminding us of our military's historical sacrifices just as the Demonic Duo is dissing them in every conceivable way, both vets and active duty.
I remember Tony Curtis playing Ira Hayes in "The Outsider," a role that would have been better played by Jay Silverheels even though he was too old for the role at the time. I doubt any Native Americans had any interest in seeing the film.
I choke up whenever I listen to Johnny Cash singing The Ballad of Ira Hayes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEwSwQtSmDQ
Thank you from my heart Tom.
Thank you, Tom. May this reminder of these courageous Marines strengthen us as we confront the troubles rushing at us.
Great stories like this are hard to come by in TV Land, but here on TAFM they’re standard fare. Thanks for this beaut!
No matter what the conflict is, the one guarantee in the U.S. military is that the Marines will always get the shit end of the stick. Iwo Jima was the shit end of the shit end. 26,000 casualties total including over 6000 KIA. Twenty seven Medals of Honor were awarded.
The strategic importance of the island has been hotly debated since, given the cost of taking it. By the time Iwo was secured the 20th AF had already switched to night attacks on Japanese cities, mostly obviating the need for fighter escorts. AS for the emergency field argument, over 80% of the B-29s landed to refuel and were not damaged in combat.
And the missions flown by the P-51s were "hanging out on the edge" performance -wise for the distance. there was the mission that lost 2/3 of the planes when they entered a storm front halfway to Japan.
The US had no idea what the Japanese had done on Iwo Jima between July 1944 - when they could have taken it in a day - and February '45 when the 6-day estimate was off by five weeks.
For those who want to know more, I highly recommend the Clint Eastwood movie, "Letters From Iwo Jima," which tells the story of the battle from the Japanese side. Also "Flags of Our Fathers" he did, from the US side.
Suribachi was then and still is an active volcano and the rest of the island of Iwo Jima is riddled with fumaroles, hot springs, quicksand and other hazards. Aircraft that were using the airfield on Iwo had to have all openings covered to prevent the powdery volcanic ash from getting to the moving parts and the blowing ash was like a sandblaster on metal and fabric. The ash was mainly microscopic volcanic glass particles and breathing it could cause respiratory damage over long periods of time.
We visit the Iwo Jima Memorial whenever we have visitors in town. It's the first stop on my "nickel" tour for people who have never been to DC. I tear up walking around that Memorial, it's such an evocative installation. There are two other things that make it even more memorable: its proximity to Arlington National Cemetery and the incredible view from there, right down the National Mall, with the Lincoln Memorial closest, then the Washington Monument, then the US Capitol in the distance. Great photo op!
Thanks, TC. Joe Rosenthal's photo is pretty much perfect. (The one of the first flag is pretty damn good, too.) And thanks for the link to Johnny Cash and the Ballad of Ira Hayes. Tears roll down my cheeks when I hear it.
Thank you, Tom. What a moving, tragic and unforgettable piece.
As I understand it Iwo Jima was some of the most intense fighting of the Pacific war, the Japanese knew how to build defensive fortifications where each one protected several others and they were fighting for their Emperor whom they saw as God, on many of the islands they fought until almost the last man, that was not the case in the European theatre, German generals would surrender if they were in untenable positions and could not break out. I think my father, a Marine pilot was there, but I can’t ask him about it as he is gone to be with my mother now. Thanks Tom for clarifying the story of that iconic photo, I had not known that they used a Japanese water pipe for a flag pole, I had always wondered at the height of it, which would have taken a couple men to carry it up that mountain, instead of weapons and ammo, not a likely choice in that terrible battle.
The only battle in the Pacific worse than Iwo Jima was Okinawa. 90 days of pure hell. (Upcoming here beginning next week)
Great, interesting article.