A Great Shot, With a Tragic Aftermath for Half its Subjects
As it turned out, Rosenthal had snapped not just a good photo, but one of the greatest photo shots of all time. The film was sent to Guam for development, and when he saw it, his editor exclaimed: “Here’s one for all time!” It was immediately transmitted to the US, and was soon picked and published by hundreds of newspapers. As to the picture’s subjects, things did not go well for many of them. The event took place early in the battle, and there were still many weeks of horrific combat ahead.
President Roosevelt wanted them taken from Iwo Jima to use in publicity and propaganda work. Before anybody knew it, however, two were killed in action, and a third followed them soon thereafter. As well as one of the most iconic American images of WWII, Rosenthal’s shot also became the only photograph to win a Pulitzer in the same year as its publication. In 1954, the photo was reproduced as a bronze sculpture, the United States Marine Corps War Memorial. Also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, it was erected at an entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
