Picture of the day. (2 Viewers)

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The original flag was carried by a marine in his shirt and put it on a pole so those on ships could see they reached the top. A larger flag was sent ashore to replace the small one. I am reasonably sure the famous photo is one frame of a movie done of the 2nd raising.
 
Not a frame from a movie. A photograph. A movie was shot at the same time, recording the same event, by Marine Sergeant Bill Genaust.
The first team to raise a flag on Suribachi was not even sure they would reach the summit. They carried a flag measured 54 x 28 inches. When Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal saw the flag go up, he wanted it a for a souvenir. The Marines were determined to not let that happen, so the original flag was replaced by a larger one, measuring 96 x 57 inches, reportedly salvaged from a ship sunk at Pearl Harbor. The original flag was then returned to the regimental CP of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment, and secured in Colonel Chandler Johnson's safe.
 
Machine Gun Test Bench for P-51 D Mustang.

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The Rosenthal photo wasn't staged. It was photographed during the second, larger, flag raising.
Two separate events. The second raising got a lot more publicity because Rosenthal's photo turned out so good.
I believe the movie "Flags of Our Fathers" documents those events pretty well.
Here is the narrative describing the raising of the second flag on Mount Suribachi, mentioning the first one as well.
All documents are from NARA.
 

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Note the Ryan also undergoing repair in the background.



This is A9-712 and wears Japanese characters under the wings to indicate to Japanese forces on the ground that the war was over, in Bougainville. The writing reads "Japan Surrenders".

The word "降伏 (kofuku = surrender)" would have been understood "I surrender" or "Surrender!" by the Japanese forces.
Though a little bit longer, "戦争終結(senso-syuketsu = war ends)" would have been better.
 
The word "降伏 (kofuku = surrender)" would have been understood "I surrender" or "Surrender!" by the Japanese forces. Though a little bit longer, "戦争終結(senso-syuketsu = war ends)" would have been better.

Thanks for that Shin, good to know what the English translation is. That came from an original print I once saw of the aircraft in a museum. It had "Japan surrenders" as the translation written on the back of it.
 

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