World War II Database

1. Jerry Ownby says:
11 Oct 2008 12:52:40 PM

I have an original field photo taken of this event. My Uncle Bill Vance was in the Seabees assigned to Iwo Jima. He was friendly with and knew Joe Rosenthall. When this picture was taken, I am told the film was flown to Guam and developed. After it was returned and reviewed, the film was forwarded to Washington. One of the review photos was given to my uncle who mailed it to my Mother who kept it in our Family Bible until 1998. It was then sent to me as an heirloom. I still have this picture in a safe deposit box. I have often wondered what it may be worth, and it is such a document that there should be some interest is preserving it further. I am not sure how many of these pictures there are in original condition and size. If you could shed some light on just who I may contact to pursue this further.
Thank You.
P.S. My contact information follows:

Jerry Ownby
430 Kate Rd.
Dahlonega, Ga. 30533
Phone-706-429-7642

2. Anonymous says:
18 Nov 2010 07:12:35 PM

This was the bloodiest battle the US Marines ever face. It was the first time a US flag flew over Japanese soil!!!!

3. Alan says:
24 Feb 2011 03:50:00 AM

Later sculptor Felix W. de Weldon, attached to the US Navy, made a larger than
life model of the flag raising. He even tracked down the three survivors – Pfc
Rene Gagnor, Pfc Ira Hayes and PhM 2/c John Bradley – so that he could properly
model their faces. After years of work the statue with 32ft high figures and a
60ft long flagpole was dedicated by President Dwight Eisenhower on 10 November
1954, marking the 179th anniversary of the US Marine Corps.

4. Anonymous says:
23 May 2015 06:26:39 AM

de Weldon erred on the depiction of the M1 Carbine. WWII carbines did not have a provision for attaching a bayonet. The carbine depicted is a later model carbine. de Weldon didn't think enough of the project to include the names of the flag raisers on his statue--just his own.

5.  David Stubblebine says:
4 May 2016 10:42:53 AM

In 2014, two amateur photo analysts began raising questions about the correct identities of the six flag raisers. After catching the attention of a webmaster for a 5th Marines Division website, the Marine Corps announced in 2016 that it was opening an official investigation into the question. At issue is whether Navy Corpsman John Bradley is actually in this photo. There is no question that John Bradley was one of the flag raisers for the first flag raised on Mt Suribachi but this photo shows the second flag raising. On May 3, 2016 the New York Times published an article saying that John Bradley’s son, author James Bradley (Flags of Our Fathers), has come to the conclusion that his father is not in this photograph after reviewing the photographic analysis.
See: http://dataomaha.com/media/news/2014/iwo-jima/
http://www.5thmarinedivision.com/flag-raisers.html

6.  C. Peter Chen says:
23 Jun 2016 09:12:59 AM

As of June 2016, the US Marine Corps officially recognizes the men in this photo as:

Corporal Harlon Block
Private First Class Rene Gagnon
Private First Class Ira Hayes
Private First Class Harold Schultz *
Private First Class Franklin Sousley
Sergeant Michael Strank

* Previously identified as John Bradley

7.  C. Peter Chen says:
18 Oct 2019 06:02:36 AM

As of 16 Oct 2019, the United States Marine Corps officially recognized the men as:

Corporal Harlon Block
Corporal Harold Keller *
Private First Class Ira Hayes
Private First Class Harold Schultz
Private First Class Franklin Sousley
Sergeant Michael Strank

* Keller replaced Private First Class Rene Gagnon