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Just watched a documentary on AHC that they have identified one of the Iwo Flag Marines as Harold Schultz, a mortarman. The first clue noticed by a researcher: one Marine had the front of the sling on his M1 attached to the stacking swivel. The researcher was able to trace that rifle in other photos that identified Schultz. How cool.
The forensic analysis of the event was quite revealing, now it makes one wonder why the apparent subterfuge by the Navy for all these years, the book Flags of Our Fathers was published and then made into a movie. Why did Bradley never make it clear he was not in the Rosenthal picture, and not part of the most famous memorial in USMC history?
John "Doc" Bradley was one of the members of the combat patrol that climbed, captured, and helped raise the original U.S. flags on top of Mount Suribachi on the morning of February 23, 1945. Until June 2016, Bradley was incorrectly identified as being one of the six men raising a second, larger flag about 90 minutes later, though he was still on the mountaintop and witnessed – but was not part of – the specific moment of raising the larger flag that was captured in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal.
Sounds a lot like my former neighbor Ted Folari. He told me his squad raised the first flag on Surabachi, and he knew all the little details. The squad was still on the mountain when the second, larger flag was raised. Ted was guarding the perimeter about 50 yards away and watched it go up. I'm guessing Bradley was there.
Interesting story played out in a great film. Bought this many years ago signed by
Cpl Charles W. Lindberg who with his Platoon raising the first American flag on Japanese soil on the 23rd February 1945. The flag was raised on Mount Suribachi and out of a Platoon of 40 men, 36 were either killed or wounded in subsequent fighting on Iwo Jima. He authenticated the picture with a full citation on the back.
I have often been confused by all the names that follwoed saying they actually raised the flag, but I never questioned it, but he says he was the first!!
This was corroberated by Marine Combat photographer Lou Lowery who says this was the FIRST flag raising.
So where pray tell me does this Charles W. Lindberg feature on the original flag raising
He must have been there its an authenticated picture and this piece confirms it:
Charles W. Lindberg, 86, Dies; Placed First Flag at Iwo Jima - The New York Times
Could it be he has been right all these years, and no one has taken any notice of him??
Did he in fact raise the very first flag, and the hype and nationalism took over on the raising of a bigger flag later that day (4 hours later)??
Any historians out there or conspiracy theorists?? I would like to know as I paid good money for the signed picture which is authenticated as fact!!:ugh:
Well you know, one of the flag raisers from the second picure was also miss-identified. He went home after the war and disappeared into deliberate and blissful obscurity, watching the lives of the declared raisers destroyed by the publicity.
Bob
Bob,
Yes, there is that to it, but I believe this guy Lindberg, wanted to deflate the BIG baloon put up by the U.S propoganda machine, that his guys were the first to raise a flag at the top.
Just for my piece of mind to know who actually was SPARTACUS!!
The Navy has been very slow to acknowledge its errors. "Too Young The Hero" is a true story of Calvin Graham, a 12 year old who enlisted in WWII. He got caught and was kicked out of the Navy. He never fully got his military record restored. He received two Purple Hearts at the 'Canal. Interesting story made into a fairly decent movie.
Real shame the lad never got his true acknowledgement. He served with great distinction as a 12 year old and, regardless, should have been given a good slap on the back. Did he actually get his Purple Hearts, I thought they kept them away from him.
How many 12 year olds do you know that could carry that position today and get away with it for so long???
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what Gil is saying, but no one has ever doubted the first flag raising, and the only reason the second became so famous is Rosenthal clicked that shutter at exactly the right time. The entire flag raising (first or second) would have been a small footnote in history if Rosenthal had not clicked exactly when he did.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
No misunderstanding from this callsign. I started by saying I have a picture of the "Official" flag raising signed by LINDBERG one of the lads there, and I paid good money for it, on the basis that it was authentic.
He spent his whole life trying to right the injustice that he did raise it first. In my view, I do believe any ARMY's PR machine comes into play here, and they grabbed the next few bootnecks to raise a bigger decent flag and it was those guys that then toured the States not him or his lads.............."the originals"
Probably on the basis that they needed desperately to raise moral back home, which showed the losses on those few islands!