Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an outstanding framed group of signed photos and signed envelopes containing autographs of some of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima along with the photographer of the famous photo! The frame measures 16 ⅝ x 29 ¾” and is well-organized. The frame shows photos and descriptions of both flag raisings, with nine signatures total. There are also four patches attached in the frame for display.

The first photo at the top left shows the 2nd flag raising and has signatures of Capt. Dave E. Severance, C.O., Co. E, 28th Marines, John H. Bradley, and Joe Rosenthal, who took the photo!

The two envelopes are signed by Rene Gagnon, and Ira Hayes, respectively, both flag raisers.

The bottom photo shows the first flag raising and is signed by Charles W. Lindberg, Raymond Jacobs, and Col. Dave E. Severance, whose signature was also on the top photo. There are 9 signatures total, 8 of flag raisers, with 7 flag raisers having signed in total.

The frame does not have a hanging wire and instead has velcro pieces on all corners, so some command strips will need to be acquired to properly hang this. An outstanding frame, ready to mount and display!

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is an iconic photograph of six United States Marines raising the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in the final stages of the Pacific War. The photograph, taken by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press on February 23, 1945, was first published in Sunday newspapers two days later and reprinted in thousands of publications. It was the only photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year as its publication, and was later used for the construction of the Marine Corps War Memorial in 1954, which was dedicated to honor all Marines who died in service since 1775. The memorial, sculpted by Felix de Weldon, is located in Arlington Ridge Park, near the Ord-Weitzel Gate to Arlington National Cemetery and the Netherlands Carillon. The photograph has come to be regarded in the United States as one of the most significant and recognizable images of World War II.

The flag raising occurred in the early afternoon, after the mountaintop was captured and a smaller flag was raised on top that morning. Three of the six Marines in the photograph—Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon Block, and Private First Class Franklin Sousley—were killed in action during the battle; Block was identified as Sergeant Hank Hansen until January 1947 and Sousley was identified as PhM2c. John Bradley, USN, until June 2016. The other three Marines in the photograph were Corporals (then Privates First Class) Ira Hayes, Harold Schultz, and Harold Keller; Schultz was identified as Sousley until June 2016 and Keller was identified as Rene Gagnon until October 2019. All of the men served in the 5th Marine Division on Iwo Jima.

The Associated Press has relinquished its copyright to the photograph, placing it in the public domain.

Flag Raisers Identities
The United States Marine Corps corrected the identity of another one of the six men raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi in an iconic photo taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, after new evidence was provided by three historians.

A Marine Corps board reviewed the new information from historians Dustin Spence, Stephen Foley and Brent Westemeyer, and determined Marine Cpl. Harold P. Keller was one of the men immortalized in the famous photo taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, not Pfc. Rene Gagnon, as had been previously believed.

The same happened in 2016, when the Marine Corps determined another man in the photo had been misidentified. The man was identified as Pfc. Harold Schulz, and not Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class John Bradley, who had been involved in the first flag raising. Rosenthal's photo captured the second raising, when Marines lifted a larger U.S. flag on the mountain during the battle for the strategic island where 6,500 U.S. service members lost their lives.

"The correct identification of Marines ... is important," a Marine Corps statement said, announcing Keller's identity. "Without the initiative and contributions of both private historians devoted to preservation of our history and the FBI’s support, the Marine Corps would not have this opportunity to expand on the historical record of the second flag raising on Mount Suribachi. We are extremely grateful for their dedication to helping us preserve our legacy."

The statement said the review board was contacted in July 2018 by private historians pointing out the errors in identification.

"These historians provided a significant amount of new evidence for consideration, mostly in the form of dozens of previously private photographs," the statement said.