Courtesy of occasional reader Zane, the iconography of Iwo Jima, with an essay on Joe Rosenthal’s tribulations. His photograph of the second raising of the American flag atop Suribachi guaranteed the existence of the Corps for the next 500 years, according to Navy Secretary James Forrestal.
I’ve walked those beaches and climbed that hill, and was in awe for every moment of it. And I wasn’t carrying a ten pound rifle, nor a forty pound ruck. And no one was shooting down on me.
If that’s a little too distant, these images from the war in Iraq may evoke memories of a more innocent time, while graphically depicting our gradual loss of innocence over the years.
I don’t know that we come out of Iraq with any guarantees at all.
Two very different fights. Two very different endings.
Both of the flags raised on Suribachi can be seen at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, VA.
Wouldn’t be surprised if the retreat from Iraq (not just by the US, but by coalition forces in general) will be remembered as the beginning of the end of western civilisation.
#11 looks like one of the classic images from WWII. Heck a lot of them, excepting changes in uniforms and weapons, could come from either WW. Or just about any war, really. The expressions, the moments of tenderness or levity in the midst of violent insanity.
Loved the shot of the kid bringing water to the Marine.
“Two very different fights. Two very different endings.”
Two very different societies. I weep for most of what we’ve lost.
Lex, though it has been forty years I still remember walking many beaches, most with Jap pillboxes and artillery, of a fair number of Central Pacific islands (Guam, Oki, Saipan and a lot of smaller islands) and being in awe of our guys coming ashore facing that firepower.
From the air the islands appear to be easy to take, no problem.
Depending upon the island and where the landing was at, the troops might have had hundreds of yards of water/surf/sand to go thru before they could reach the enemy positions. Plus, once you made it to the jungle, it was a different world, and not a nice one. Heat, humidity, insects, snakes, crocodiles, booby traps. It had to be hell.
Never made it to Iwo Jima, though I did visit Ie Shima (where Ernie Pyle died).
Lex … Thank you for providing us with some marvelous photographs of our fighters in the present conflict. My-husband-the-photographer was spellbound as he went through them. And much moved. Me too.
I knew that there must be some high quality images of the war, but the only ones I could find were some of Michael Yon’s and there are all too few of them. I hope, when the war ends, or at least goes into cessation for awhile, there will be some photographic history books compiled, as there have been of the Second World War, th Korean War, and even the Vietnamese war.
We need to remember. And great photographic images burn into the brain permanently, like the one on Mt. Suribachi.
Marianne
P.S. Do you think that this is going to end up being another Thirty Years’ War?
Marianne-
It’s already been a 1400 year war.
Marianne, there are some photographs at Sebastian Jungers site, http://www.sebastianjunger.com/photo.
Yon’s forthcoming book is reported to have quite a few new photos.
Regards,