AM
Trials Pricing

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

The Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945 was one of the deadliest battles of the War in the Pacific. Whilst only a small island, it held great significance to both sides. For the United States, it offered a position to advance an aerial campaign towards Tokyo. For the Japanese, Iwo Jima had a symbolic meaning, as it was the first Japanese national soil to face foreign invasion.


Four days into the battle, Joe Rosenthal, a photographer from the Associated Press, captured one of the most iconic photographs of the Second World War. The photograph depicted six soldiers raising a U.S flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima.

Image © The National WWII Museum. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Click the image to see the document for free until 28th June 2019.

If we examine the photograph – it can help us to comprehend the experiences of those involved. It shows unity among the American forces and the value of teamwork. Even the last man, who can no longer reach the flagpole, is supporting his comrade.

The image itself went viral as it was published on the front pages of newspapers across America. It began a wave of national optimism that peace was near and as a war-bond poster, raised money for the military. The photograph was very popular, but how did the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima effect those who actually witnessed it?

Adam Matthew’s newest resource, America in World War Two: Oral Histories and Personal Accounts, enables researchers to examine specific events through direct, personal testimonies.


William Kaenzig served in the United States Marine Corps with the 4th Marine Division and took part in the battles of Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. William landed on Iwo Jima on the first day and remembered the beach being “covered in bodies” as he describes a situation of panic and fear;


I'm going along shaking guys, saying, come on, come on, get off the beach. And about the fourth or fifth one, I knew they were dead, that those that wanted to get off were off. And I got my guys, my radio operators and telephone people, and I said, let's get out of here.

Image © The National WWII Museum. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Click the image to see the document for free until 28th June 2019.


Soon after moving off the beach, William and his men reached Suribachi. Witnessing an American flag being raised after experiencing the dangers of an amphibious landing must have been an emotional experience for the Marines. As William recalled;


A lot of them started to cry because it was an emotional moment, that we're finally got that part and there's the good old American flag.”

America in World War Two: Oral Histories and Personal Accounts is now available. For more information, including free trial access and price enquiries, please email us at info@amdigital.co.uk


Recent posts

Visual protest: The art of Amnesty International

Amnesty International Archives features hundreds of thousands of images, including every Urgent Action issued between 1974-1991 detailing requests for action to intercede in humanitarian crises and protest atrocities around the world. The campaigns, internal developments and press perceptions of Amnesty are all explored in detail through the documents that are featured in the resource.

Love in the Archive

Women’s Voices and Life Writing, 1600-1968 offers access to everyday experiences and social worlds, whilst encouraging us to engage with women’s own understandings of the contexts in which they lived. Claire Langhamer, Director of the Institute of Historical Research and Professor of Modern History, University of London, discusses the topic of romantic love using resources from within the collection.