Iwo Jima Essay

On February 19, 1945 one of the bloodiest battles of World War II commenced on the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima. Only five days later, “the shot seen round the world” (Turan) was captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. As it has been studied and proven time in and time out, the media was a driving force behind gathering support for entering the second world war after Pearl Harbor was bombed in December of 1941. Just like when someone hears the words “Pearl Harbor” they think, “a day that will live in infamy”, similarly when “Iwo Jima” is uttered, the first image that comes to mind is that one captured atop Mount Suribachi.
Since the day that image was first released to the public, it has been destined for greatness. Not only
did the photograph have a profound impact on the war effort, but it altered the viewpoints of the American population as a whole, as well as serving as a motivational factor for the brave soldiers fighting the war; the collective memory now plays a similar role, appearing in various settings and having just as much of an importance now as it did at the time Rosenthal snapped that iconic moment in time.
First and foremost, it is important to know the relative details and facts about Iwo Jima and the flag raising in order to properly discuss how the collective memory of events that took place have been shaped and molded into what they are known to be today. As many people may or may not know, Joe Rosenthal was not the only photographer on the mountain the day the photo was captured. So when he heard that marines were hiking to the top of
the mountain, he decided to go along, but another photographer from the marines named Louis Lowery was already at the summit and beat Rosenthal to it. Lowery was capturing the raising of the flag, Rosenthal lost his opportunity. But why do is he credited with capturing the iconic photo? It’s because he did. But as some did not know, there was actually two flag raisings that day on Iwo Jima. As Rosenthal was ascending the mountain, Lowery who was descending after capturing what he though the iconic moment was, relayed the message “Hey, you're late fellas, there's already a flag up there” (Patterson). Rosenthal decided to continue on up to at least experience the breathtaking view that naturally brought a sense of pride and nationalism. As he got closer to the summit, he spotted five soon-to-be famous marines and one navy sailor replacing the first flag with a larger second flag. This was Rosenthal’s opportunity; he knew “he had a second chance to photograph an important moment on the summit” (Patterson). Back in 1945, photographers did not have the luxury of snapping an unlimited amount of photos and going back later to select their favorite. So he had one photo opportunity, one moment to go down in the history books, and one big decision to make. Did he take the picture of one flag being lowered and one being raised at the same time, or just of the second flag as it was being raised? As it is very well known now, Rosenthal made the right decision and captured the perfect picture at the most opportune moment possible. As Hal Buell, a close friend of Rosenthal’s explained in his CNN interview,
It's exquisite… You have this strong, diagonal line made by the flag staff. You have the flag snapping in the breeze. You have the pyramid-like shape of the Marines pushing the flag up. The men obviously are separate, but they appear as one. The blank background enhances the action by providing no distractions. Also, the photo is gifted with a softly filtered light. A very thin haze of clouds filters the light so that the shadows aren't harsh, but there is detail in all the shadows on the uniforms and the flag. (Patterson)

All of these elements came together at the perfect moment to capture such an elegantly rugged photo.
Without the pyramid-like shape and strong diagonal line, the photo may have ended up covered in dust just as Lowery’s. So how exactly did Lowery’s picture stack up against Rosenthal’s perfect snapshot? Why is his not as actively discussed as the later of the two? Does collective memory play in a role in the reasoning behind these two questions? Many have made the argument that yes, collective memory – a powerful term in itself – does play a role. As the photo has appeared in many formats, so has the story associated with the
photo.