This Day in History: , U.S. Flag Raised on Iwo Jima.
February 23, 1945.
After taking the crest of Mount Suribachi,
U.S. Marines raised the U.S. flag
to the cheers of American soldiers.
Several hours later when a second and
larger flag was raised, the moment was
captured by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal.
Of the three photos Rosenthal took,
one would win the Pulitzer Prize and
become the most reproduced photo in history.
Three of the six soldiers seen in the photo
were killed before the end of the
Battle for Iwo Jima in late March.
Defeating the 22,000 Japanese defenders
on the tiny island was an important
strategic victory for the U.S.
Only 200 of the defenders were captured alive,
6,000 U.S. soldiers were killed and 17,000 U.S.
soldiers were wounded in the battle