Two Flags over Iwo Jima
Solving the Mystery of the U.S. Marine Corps' Proudest Moment
by Eric Hammel
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Pub Date Oct 02 2018 | Archive Date Oct 01 2018
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Description
Joe Rosenthal’s “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” photograph is one of the best-known images of US war history. It captures the moment that the first American flag flew over the core of Imperial Japanese territory on the top of Mount Suribachi. Author Eric Hammel himself grew up in the company of WWII veterans and has always been intrigued by ‘The Photo’ which became a powerful symbol of patriotism and national pride.
However, there were actually two flags, not one. The saga of the flags on Iwo Jima has fascinated America for decades. The story of how the flag got there, and even the identity of the soldiers in the photo, has been muddied by history. Hammel here sets the record straight, viewing complex events through the lens of the story of the infantry company in which all the flag raisers served.
The focus of this book lies on the 28th Marine Regiment’s self-contained battle in February 1945 for Mount Suribachi, the 556-foot-high volcano on Iwo Jima. It was here that this one regiment defeated more than 1,500 heavily armed Japanese combatants who were determined to hold the highest vantage point on the island.
Two Flags over Iwo Jima reveals the all-but-forgotten first-flag raising, and the aftermath of the popularization campaign undertaken by the post-WWII Marine Corps and national press. Hammel attempts to untangle the various battles which led up to the first and second flag raisings, as well as following the men of the 28th Marine Regiment in the events which took place after. Not only is the full narrative behind one of the most iconic images ever taken revealed, but also the real heroism and stories of the men behind this most fervent expression of American patriotism brought to light.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
"[Starred Review] A richly illustrated account of one of the most iconic moments in World War II. Military historian Hammel (War in the Western Pacific, 2014, etc.) begins with his own first awareness of Joe Rosenthal's famous photo of the flag-raising, which became the inspiration for the Marine Corps War Memorial sculpture. In a brief prologue, the author tells how the flag came to be raised not once but twice. He then circles back to the battle, beginning with the decision to take the volcanic island, which would give the U.S. a base for its heavy bombers within striking distance of the enemy homeland as well as capturing an integral part of the Japanese empire, an important symbolic victory. Unlike other battles in which the Japanese fought in mass "banzai" attacks, their plan here was for tenacious defense from a well-designed series of bunkers and strongholds, a plan buttressed with major reinforcements until a month before the landing. In short, the Marines were in for a brutal ordeal. Hammel profiles the men and officers of Company E, the main body involved in the capture of the mountain, and then follows the course of the battle through the flag-raising and its aftermath. Some men died on the island, others survived the war, and a few were singled out as heroes because of their parts in the flag-raising, a role they neither sought nor enjoyed. But the identities of the men involved in the iconic event were never clear until well after the war. Hammel describes the way the image of the flag-raising became a symbol of the Marines and the way the survivors eventually tried to get the full story made part of the official record. He documents this effort by including the reports of the Huly Board, which determined the facts, and the detailed photographic evidence the board worked from. Ultimately, readers receive a unique view of a key battle and learn how, years later, the story was put into proper context. A must for World War II buffs." -Kirkus Reviews
Marketing Plan
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781612006291 |
| PRICE | $29.95 (USD) |
