Any historians out there? I was wondering if the movie "Flags of Our Fathers" was historically accurate regarding the fact that the famous picture (and monument) is actually depicting a second flag-raising and the reason the first flag was taken down? Am I the only one who didn't know this?
2007-02-18 13:41:08 · 6 answers · asked by tagosb 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
There are very few incidents in war (ne life) that are reported in an accurate manner, nor with out different points of view. Only when they are significant do they get scrutinized.
You are not the only one who doesn't (didn't) know. A lot of people went to SAW III and still dont know.
Conroversy still exists. Joe took the picture and didn't think much of it. He then got a few Marines to gather around the flag for a picture. They were reluctant, not wanting to be "hollywood Marines" When later asked if he staged the picture, he said "yes." Thinking the second picture was the popular one. It was weeks later he saw which picture was popular, and realized it was not the picture he said was staged.
The sigma remained, and "conspiricy theorists" which are always among us have had fuel ever since.
One point, remember Ira Hayes. It has only been recently that medical science has identifed that the American Indian has a genetic predisposition to have less of the enzimes that break down alcholol in the body.
Have you seen "Windtalkers?"
2007-02-18 14:40:09 · answer #1 · answered by mt_hopper 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I haven't seen the movie, but to answer your question - yes, the first flag was taken down and the famous photo that everyone knows is of the second flag.
Here is a photo of the first flag raising -
http://www.iwojima.com/raising/lflagi.gif
A photo of the first flag being taken down while they're getting ready to put up the second flag -
http://www.iwojima.com/raising/lflagk.gif
And the photo by Joe Rosenthal of the second flag going up, which was later cropped and used in the newspapers -
http://www.iwojima.com/raising/lflaga2.gif
The reason they changed flags was that the first flag was not large enough to be seen from the landing beaches.
2007-02-18 22:36:08 · answer #2 · answered by Abby K9 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes. The story is true. The famous Associated Press photograph was taken by civilian combat photographer for A.P., Joe Rosenthal, as a larger flag was being raised, because the smaller flag was not visible from a distance, and the officers in charge wanted the entire island to be able to see the American flag from anywhere on the island. Rosenthal (who just died a few months ago), arrived just as the Marines (and the Navy corpsman) were lifting the larger flag on a piece of pipe that they had found on the top of Mount Suribachi). There were many news stories as Rosenthal had told the circumstances of his Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph, that has since become one of the most famous photographs in history.
2007-02-18 21:55:24 · answer #3 · answered by JOHN B 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The first flag was a smaller one. They took it down to raise the larger one
2007-02-18 21:46:27 · answer #4 · answered by October 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Haven't seen the movie, but the big flag was the second up.
2007-02-18 23:51:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yea its true that they took the first one down to put a bigger one up and because an officer down below the mountain wanted the original flag
2007-02-18 21:48:10 · answer #6 · answered by lance h 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋