"Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima" (1945) [Part 1]

This week on "50 Weeks That Shaped America," we're headed to February 1945, when attention in WWII has shifted to the Pacific. American forces are "island hopping" towards Japan, and in February a fierce battle broke out on the island of Iwo Jima. After an initial victory, a group of six men clambored to the top of the islands tallest point and hoisted a flag -- twice, as it happens. The photo of the second flag raising would become one of the most famous photographs in American history. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the photo came together, and the immediate impact it had on war-weary Americans. 

Join our America250 newsletter community! Subscribe for free to get the latest news and analysis of how America250 is playing out. Paying subscribers get access to early, ad-free versions of the show. Plus bonus features throughout the year. To support our work and get access to everything, subscribe now.

This Day is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.

If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com

Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypod

Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is our Executive Producer at Radiotopia.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices