A Guy I worked with, BAR Man, second wave, seven minutes on the Beach. Happy ending met his wife, a nurse, in the hospital.
As most vets, he never talked about it much, but my uncle was on Iwo Jima the day after the flag raising. Worked in air traffic control and was setting things up and then getting planes in and out. He still is around in good health and travels. But their number are dwindling. I’m glad we have some of these iconic images to remember them and their sacrifices.
Me: “Wow - you were on Iwo Jima the day after that?!”
Uncle: “Oh, it was pretty much done by then. Although for a few more days [weeks?] they would take potshots at us, or take potshots at a plane.”