There were two flag raisings on Mt. Suribachi on February 23, 1945. This image, the first, was taken by Staff Sergeant Louis R. Lowery, working for the Marine magazine, Leathernecks. It shows a Marine standing guard while other Marines hoist a small American flag on an improvised pole.

The Marines had attached a small flag to a piece of pipe and had hoisted it up so all the Marines around Mt. Suribachi could see the gains their fellow Marines had made and boost their morale. Sgt. Lowery had followed the Marine group up the mountain and his picture reflects their determination to claim ownership to the ground they had gained. After a couple of hours a commander decided that the flag was not large enough to be seen by many Marines and ordered a new and larger flag be raised. The first flag was lowered and kept by the Marines. As this happened, the second rasing started and it is this raising that Joe Rosenthal captured and that won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize.

Medium : 1 photographic print

Created/Published : February 23, 1945

Creator : Sgt. Louis R. Lowery, U.S. Marine photographer, 1916-1987

Forms part of the New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection housed in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress.

Availability: Special order: ships in 3-4 weeks

Product #: 21604066