Rosslyn in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
A Split Second Made Immortal
US Marine Corps War Memorial, George Washington Memorial Parkway
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
"The raising of the flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years."
—Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal
23 February 1945
America's Stars and Stripes remains a potent symbol of Marine Corps spirit and what it took to gain victory in World War II. Marines raised the flag twice over Iwo Jima. Each action was over in a matter of seconds. Photographers present recorded many pictures of both events.
When the first flag went up, it immediately rallied the spirits of thousands of Marines. Cheers broke out. Ships' horns sounded. But at only 4½ feet long, the banner could not easily be seen by the many Marines fighting on the distant beachheads below.
Major General Keller E. Rockey ordered that a bigger, 8-foot-long flag be taken to the top. The snapshot taken of that moment when Marines struggled together to push the second flag aloft touched the hearts of Americans deeply.
(Captions)
Associated Press photographer Joseph J. Rosenthal's 1945 camera is now in the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York.
Pulitzer Prize winner Joseph J. Rosenthal had no idea his photograph would quickly become world-famous. The image was only revealed after being taken to Guam—815 miles away—to
this page online
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Communications • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is February 23, 1945.
Location. 38° 53.421′ N, 77° 4.199′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Rosslyn. Marker is on US Marine Memorial Circle north of North Marshall Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1495 North Meade Street, Arlington VA 22209, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Marines' Fiercest Fighting of World War II (a few steps from this marker); 70,000 Marines Helped Raise That Flag on Iwo Jima (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle Honors Unending (within shouting distance of this marker); Missions Critical (within shouting distance of this marker); A Place Where Memories Are Made (within shouting distance of this marker); And How Will You Remember Them? (within shouting distance of this marker); United States Marine Corps War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Something More Than A Statue (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Also see . . .
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 246 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
