One of the most iconic images to emerge from WWII was the Iwo Jima flag raising, but just this summer the Marine Corps had to revise what had long been believed about the six men seen hoisting the flag in the renowned photograph.
For more than 70 years, the historic image identified John Bradley, a Navy hospital corpsman, as one of those men– but it was, in fact, Private First Class Harold Schultz.
Now, just a few months later, the Corps is admitting to another error in yet another photo from one of the war’s bloodiest battles, the NY Daily News reports.
A lesser known photo showing the so-called “first flag-raising” was taken on Feb 23, 1945 on Mt. Suribachi.
The first flag-raising photo never became as famous as the legendary one that people identify as being the image that came to define the war. The two photos were shot just hours apart.
For decades, it was believed that the six men in the first photo were: Sgt. Henry Hansen, Private First Class Louis Charlo, Platoon Sgt. Ernest Thomas, First Lt. Harold Schier, Corporal Charles Lindberg and Private First Class James Michels.
The Marines said this week, however, that two of the men, Charlo and Michels were misidentified. John Bradley– the same man who was thought to be in the iconic Iwo Jima photo- is actually in the first flag raising image, along with Private Philip Ward.
“Our history is important, and we owe it to our Marines and their families to ensure it is as accurate as possible,” General Robert B. Neller said in a statement.
© 2016 Bright Mountain Media, Inc.
All rights reserved. The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of Bright Mountain Media, Inc. which may be contacted at info@brightmountainmedia.com, ticker BMTM.
