Marine IWO JIMA PING
That was the second flag. The first was much, much smaller.
Rest in peace. You gave use a memory that few will forget.
RIP, Good and Faithful Servant.
I talked to a guy that believed he supplied the mast for the flag
RIP.
God rest his soul.
May his soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed, though the mercy of God, rest in peace.
If I recall correctly, the flag Lt Wood obtained at Pearl Harbor was removed from a ship that was damaged in the Japanese attacks on December 7, 1941. Seeing the large flag flying over Mount Suribachi, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal (who was present for the invasion) told Marine Corps Lt Gen Holland Smith (the amphibious force commander), “that guarantees a Marine Corps for the next 500 years.”
Obviously, Secretary Forrestal and General Smith never met Barack Obama. Under his watch, the Corps will lose 60,000 Marines over the next 2-3 years, leaving at its lowest strength since before Pearl Harbor.
That flag is on display in the Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, VA. It was a moving experience to stand there alone for a time with it. Behind you as you stand there looking at it, is a huge wall display of EGAs and Navy collar insignia. There are a LOT of them, pinned to a piece of hardwood.
There’s one for every Marine and Navy KIA on Iwo.