Few photographs are so enduring in the memory once first looked at than that iconic photograph by Joe Rosenthal taken at the ending of world war II in 1945. “Raising the Flag at Iwo Jima” Has undoubtly become one of the most iconic and reproduced Photographs of all time. Here we take a look in more detail in the background to this historical image.

Iwo Jima is a small island off the coast of Japan. Back during World War II at the beginning of 1945 the United States troops undertook Operation Detachment, the Battle of Iwo Jima. The operation was to capture Iwo Jima from Japan. On the 19th Februrary 1945 30,000 Marines were the first on the island and after heavy fighting and resistance from the rigorous Japanese defensives both above ground with bunkers and hidden artillery and below with a vast network of tunnels the operation took 35 days to complete and the U.S had received in that battle heavier casualties than the Japanese did in that operation. It was on day 5, 23rd February 1945 that the second US flag would be raised on the island, at the top of Mount Suribachi, Japanses for grinding bowl it's a dormant volcano and the highest point of the island.

The fist flag raising on Mount Suribachi was photographed by Louis R. Lowery, was a United States Marine Corps photographer. After initial reports of the occasion to capture Mount Suribachi and the lack of resistance met whilst reaching the summit the first flag was raised. However it was decided that this first flag was too small particluary to be seen easily by the landing beaches so a second larger flag would be needed. 2nd Battalion Commander Colonel Chandler Johnson gave a larger flag to Rene Gagnon, a runner to the command post that day (seen in Rothenhal's photograph as the man facing the camera behind the others) with orders to replace it with whilst a 40 man patrol re-mounted the summit and the installation of a telephone wire at the top continued.

Rosenthal and other Marine photographers Bob Campbell and Bill Genaust were climbing the summit also at this time and met with Lowery who, had done the job of getting the first photographs persuaded the men that there was an excellent vantage point to be had and that they should continue to the top.