Iwo Jima Flag Raising
A Brief History

By Glenn Fiery
(Ventura County, Detachment 597)

On February 19, 1945, at 9:02 a.m., the first American vehicle landed on the soft, black sand of this eight square mile island. It wasn’t until the twelfth wave that Easy Company, Second Battalion, 28 th Regiment, 5 th Marine Division landed on Green Beach at 9:55 a.m. Four hundred yards to their left loomed Mount Suribachi overlooking all the landing beaches. Tasked with the special mission to form a line across the narrow neck at the southern part of the island, the 28 th Marines then would isolate and subsequently capture this ancient volcano. General Kuribayashi, the Japanese commander, ordered his troops to hold fire until the beaches were jammed with Marines and equipment. About 10:15 a.m., the Japanese opened fire on the massed Americans. Thus began the 36-day campaign.

The flag raising on Mount Suribachi is one of the most celebrated and well-known events in Marine Corps history. Who were these eleven men that performed this act? Eleven men, you ask? Aren’t there just six? Therein lies the real question, which flag raising? The Marines that were involved know. Few historians know. Beyond that, a scant few are aware that there were actually two flag raisings about four hours apart. Could the total number of men participating be twelve or thirteen? The actual number of men directly involved with these raisings is still a source of question and controversy.

On the morning of February 23, the fifth day of fighting, Sergeant Sherman Watson led a four- man scouting patrol up the mountain. The patrol reached the top and ventured a look inside the old volcano’s crater without encountering enemy resistance. To secure the mountain, a forty-man platoon was ordered to the top; among them was Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class John H. “Doc” Bradley. First Lieutenant H. “George” Schrier, Easy Company XO and former Raider, lead the platoon. Lt. Col. Johnson, Battalion XO, gave Schrier a small flag (54x28 inches) from the USS Missoula, to hoist on top of the volcano. Without resistance, the platoon reached the top in approximately forty minutes at 10:00 a.m.

Once there; Lt. Schrier, Plt. Sgt. Ernest I. “Boots” Thomas, Sgt. Henry Hansen, Cpl Charles W. Lindberg (a flame thrower) attached the flag to the pole while PFC James Michels (or Michaels) held the pole and PFC Raymond Jacobs, radioman from Fox Company, looked on. At 10:20 five men raised the first flag. Four of the flag raisers were Schrier, Thomas, Hansen and Lindberg. The fifth flag raiser is unclear. Some sources reported either Michels or PFC Louis Charlo as the fifth man. Others report six original flag raisers, which include both Michels and Charlo. PFC Chick Robeson, refusing to be photographed with the group, stood guard holding his B.A.R. Yet, another posed photo shows Michels with his carbine in front with Jacobs wearing his radio on the far left. All of these Marines are identified in various photos taken by Sgt. Louis Lowery of Leatherneck Magazine. Undoubtedly, they all had a prominent role in this first flag raising. Lowery’s photos would later be held back from publication until Sept. 1947, because of the Joseph Rosenthal photo of the second flag raising.

As this first flag went up, a rousing cheer could be heard from the Marines below. This author met one of the Iwo Jima survivors at the last Marine Corps Ball. He witnessed this flag going up. His buddy stood up to cheer thinking the battle was over but he soon fell back with a Japanese bullet in his forehead. Never before had a foreign flag been raised over Japanese territory, it would not be the last.

Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal decided he wanted this flag as a souvenir. Johnson felt that the flag belonged to the battalion. Deciding to secure this flag, Johnson sent his Assistant Operations Officer, Lt. Ted Tuttle, to get a larger replacement. Tuttle found a 96x56 inch flag in LST-779. This flag was originally found in a salvage yard from a ship sunk in the Pearl Harbor attack.

Joseph Rosenthal, AP photographer talked Sgt. William Genaust, who had a movie camera with color film, and still photographer PFC Robert Campbell into going up the mountain. Lowery, who had broken his camera during a firefight with some Japanese on the top after the first flag went up, met the three on his way down. He told them he had already photographed the flag raising but to go on up anyway since the view was spectacular.

Jacob’s radio batteries were beginning to run low and Johnson wanted a radio wire run from his CP to the top of the mountain. Sgt. Mike Strank, PFC Ira Hayes, PFC Franklin Sousley, and Cpl. Harlon Block were ordered to string the wire as they went up the hill. PFC Rene Gagnon carried radio batteries and the new flag.

With his back to Genaust, standing between the two groups, Schrier coordinated the two groups’ actions so that the first flag was lowered at the same time that the new flag went up. While Schrier gathered Marines to take the other flag down, Strank tied the new flag to a length of pole Block waited for the base of the pole while Hayes, Gagnon, Sousley and Bradley approached the pole from different directions. Strank released the flag as the pole swung up in an arc into place. Few below noticed the new flag going into place. It was done.

Rosenthal managed to capture one frame with his Speed Graphic set at 1/400 th of a second with an f-stop somewhere between 8 and 16. Genaust also photographed the event with his movie camera. In the right corner of this film, one can see Schrier directing the two groups. Campbell photographed both flags together, the first coming down and the second going up.

The aftermath: Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded and the Marine Corps suffered one-third of its WW2 KIAs. Several days after the flag raisings, a cave near the location was discovered containing over 150 dead Japanese. They had committed suicide just hours before being discovered, meaning, they were there alive during the entire flag episode on Mt. Suribachi.

Bradley was the most highly decorated of all the flag raisers. He received the Navy Cross for heroism unrelated to the flag raising. He died Jan. 11, 1994. Photographer Lowery died April 15, 1987, Michels died Jan 17, 1982, and Gagnon died Oct. 12, 1979. Lt. Schrier retired from the Marine Corps as a Colonel. He died June 3, 1971. Hayes died Jan. 24, 1955. The following are the flag raiser combat deaths: Hansen, Strank and Block – March 1; Charlo – March 2; Thomas – March 3; movie photographer Genaust – March 4; Sousley – March 21. Radioman Jacobs survived the war and is believed to be still alive. Rosenthal age 91 and Lindberg are both still living. [Editors note: at the time of the writing in Feb. 2004]

Bibliography

Flags of Our Fathers Heroes of Iwo Jima by James Bradley and Ron Powers, 2001.
The United States Marine Corps in World War II Vol. III by S. E. Smith, 1969.
http://www.angelfire.com/ca/dickg/
http://www.findagrave.com/
http://www.iwojima.com/raising/raisingc.htm
http://www.riverreporter.com/issues/03-11-06/index.htm
http://www.goodolddogs.com/raisedflag2.html

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Iwo Jima Flag Raising A Brief History

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Iwo Jima Flag Raising
A Brief History