Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

This is one of the most famous photographs ever taken, captured by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. It shows six United States Marines working together to raise the American flag on top of Mount Suribachi. What many people do not realize is that this was actually the second flag raised on the mountain that day. The first flag was smaller, and commanders wanted a larger one that troops below could see, so a replacement was sent up. Rosenthal happened to snap his shot at the perfect moment, almost by luck, since he was setting up his camera and nearly missed it entirely.

The image became an instant sensation back home, lifting spirits during a brutal stretch of the war. It later inspired the towering Marine Corps War Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery and earned Rosenthal a Pulitzer Prize. There is real weight behind the picture too, since three of the six men in the photo died in the fighting on Iwo Jima not long after. The composition feels almost like a sculpture, with the diagonal line of the flagpole and the bodies leaning into the effort, which is part of why it has stayed so powerful for generations. It is a simple moment of teamwork that came to stand for something much bigger.