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Today is the 77th anniversary of raising the US flag on Iwo Jima

Bum

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One of World War II’s most iconic events was captured by photo 77 years ago today on Feb. 23, 1945.
Six U.S. Marines hoisted a pole bearing the American flag at Mount Suribachi during World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima. It was the second flag of two flags erected on the mountain that day, marking the first Japanese territory taken over by U.S. forces.

 
A great photo which I'm glad we have for the sake of memory. Nonetheless, a completely manufactured publicity stunt to have a better photo, taken in the afternoon, than the original, taken in the morning.

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I'm an original kinda guy. So, I like what's original better, because it's real. Even if it isn't as "good" as the remake.
 

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Nonetheless, a completely manufactured publicity stunt to have a better photo, taken in the afternoon, than the original, taken in the morning.

Not true.

The original flag was entirely spontaneous. The Battalion XO had "liberated" a small "storm flag" from the ship he was on (USS Missoula) for use by the Battalion, and gave it to a patrol heading up with instructions to raise it if they got to the top.

However, when the first flag was going up, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal was just arriving on the beach, and could barely see it. He realized the importance so he told General "Howling Mad" Smith he wanted the flag delivered to him. When the Battalion Commander who sent the patrol up heard that he ordered one of his guys to rush out and get another flag, as he was not about to give up the Battalions flag. And at the last minute, he told the guy to find a replacement that was "even bigger". It was not a "manufactured publicity stunt" at all. It was done to raise morale after almost a week of brutal fighting, and hopefully to demoralize the remaining Japanese as that was the strongest point on the island.

Plus the Battalion Commander did not want SecNav Forrestal taking what he thought was "His Flag". If Forrestal had never sent the order to pull it down because he wanted it, that first raising would likely have been the only one there was.
 
Not true.

The original flag was entirely spontaneous. The Battalion XO had "liberated" a small "storm flag" from the ship he was on (USS Missoula) for use by the Battalion, and gave it to a patrol heading up with instructions to raise it if they got to the top.

However, when the first flag was going up, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal was just arriving on the beach, and could barely see it. He realized the importance so he told General "Howling Mad" Smith he wanted the flag delivered to him. When the Battalion Commander who sent the patrol up heard that he ordered one of his guys to rush out and get another flag, as he was not about to give up the Battalions flag. And at the last minute, he told the guy to find a replacement that was "even bigger". It was not a "manufactured publicity stunt" at all. It was done to raise morale after almost a week of brutal fighting, and hopefully to demoralize the remaining Japanese as that was the strongest point on the island.

Plus the Battalion Commander did not want SecNav Forrestal taking what he thought was "His Flag". If Forrestal had never sent the order to pull it down because he wanted it, that first raising would likely have been the only one there was.


All of which was manufactured, though for good reason and purpose as you point out. As I said, the recreation of the event gave us all "A great photo which I'm glad we have for the sake of memory." That it gave the people and soldiers of America a morale boost does not negate the fact of its manufacture. Neither does its manufacture negate the importance of having done so.
 
Wrong, but I can see it is pointless to say anything else. But by your broad interpretation, everything is "manufactured".

No. The context of my using the term "manufactured" is that anything beyond the original is a "remake", and thus manufactured. The original captured the moment of reality. The remake was NOT real. It was manufactured. Only the original is real. If you want me to clarify my meaning as "remanufactured", then fine with me. That would probably be a more appropriate term.
 
One of World War II’s most iconic events was captured by photo 77 years ago today on Feb. 23, 1945.
Six U.S. Marines hoisted a pole bearing the American flag at Mount Suribachi during World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima. It was the second flag of two flags erected on the mountain that day, marking the first Japanese territory taken over by U.S. forces.

A very gloriously proud moment on Feb 23, 77 years ago. 77 years later, we're still waiting for the war to end all wars.
 
A very gloriously proud moment on Feb 23, 77 years ago. 77 years later, we're still waiting for the war to end all wars.

Just a note, WW1 was called "The war to end all wars". As long as there are humans on this planet, we will always have war.
 
One of World War II’s most iconic events was captured by photo 77 years ago today on Feb. 23, 1945.
Six U.S. Marines hoisted a pole bearing the American flag at Mount Suribachi during World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima. It was the second flag of two flags erected on the mountain that day, marking the first Japanese territory taken over by U.S. forces.

Iwo Jima is a tragedy and a great victory. The tragedy is of course the huge number of US troops that died and got wounded. The Japanese fought to the death and that trait also was seen in many other battles. Leading to the decision to use nukes on Japan. It would have cost hundreds of thousands of US soldiers.

Especially the Banzai attacks which cost many Japanese lives I think were a horror for US troops to have realized that these idiots would rather die than surrender, even luring in US medical personnel to kill them by detonating grenades they were hiding under their bodies.
 
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A great photo which I'm glad we have for the sake of memory. Nonetheless, a completely manufactured publicity stunt to have a better photo, taken in the afternoon, than the original, taken in the morning.

1645717956772-png.67376600



I'm an original kinda guy. So, I like what's original better, because it's real. Even if it isn't as "good" as the remake.
All of which was manufactured, though for good reason and purpose as you point out. As I said, the recreation of the event gave us all "A great photo which I'm glad we have for the sake of memory." That it gave the people and soldiers of America a morale boost does not negate the fact of its manufacture. Neither does its manufacture negate the importance of having done so.

Not sure how true this is, but I was told years and years ago, by an Indigenous WW2 veteran, that the original flag was hoisted by an Indigenous person, an AA, and 2 white guys. They changed it to a bunch of white guys.
 
Not sure how true this is, but I was told years and years ago, by an Indigenous WW2 veteran, that the original flag was hoisted by an Indigenous person, an AA, and 2 white guys. They changed it to a bunch of white guys.

I don't know about the first raising, but the second raising included a Native (indigenous) American, Ira Hayes. The only name of any I remember of those raising the flag.
 
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