The Flag

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By Jere Hough Meteorologist / Feature Reporter

M50o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr The Flag

Published: Mon, October 22, 2007 - 4:24 pm
Last Updated: Monday, October 22, 2007 - 6:28 pm

Jere Hough

It is one of America's most famous photographs...the World War II raising of the flag on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima.
Another photograph, taken just shortly afterward, shows two flags...one clearly flying in the wind and a lowered one, held by a Marine. And actually, the lowered flag was the first flag to fly on the mountaintop.
Veteran Horace Luckey knows the story. He was on LST 779...the first ship to land the day after the Marines invaded the Island. They brought Howitzers...powerful artillery.
He recalls the effort. "That's a big, bulky piece of material and that volcanic sand was terrible." Jeeps sank nearly to their axles.
But by only the 4th day of battle, a flag could be raised.
A flag was sent up the mountain, and and hoisted by a small group of Marines. There was brief celebration, and then a realization.
Luckey continues. "That was the first flag...now, they couldn't see that flag from the base of the mountain. So what they did was come down and got our Sunday Pennant...and that's the one that Joe Rosenthal took the picture of."
The second flag came from Pearl Harbor.
"The Communications Officer was picking up some supplies in Pearl," says Luckey, "and he came across this flag from a sunken ship. It was an extra large flag..." that could be seen clearly from the mountain top.
HORACE LUCKEY'S PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE BATTLE WERE TAKEN BY A COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR LEATHERNECK MAGAZINE NAMED LOU LOWERY. LOWERY SNAPPED THE PICTURE OF THE FIRST FLAG RAISING, BUT IT WAS THE PHOTO OF THE SECOND RAISING, TAKEN BY JOE ROSENTHAL, THAT BECAME FAMOUS.
Horace Luckey's photographs from the battle were taken by a combat photographer for Leatherneck Magazine named Lou Lowery. Lowery snapped the picture of the first flag raising, but it was the photo of the second raising, taken by Joe Rosenthal, that became famous. You can see more of Lou Lowery's photos by clicking on the "photos" tab.

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