Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal

There are times when one must pause to remember. Today is such a day for me. At 10:30 on the morning of February 23, 1945, a 54×28-inch American flag was raised on a volcanic island in the Pacific. The island was Iwo Jima.

Names are often forgotten, and dates become mere numbers on a calendar over time. Who did what? Why?

There were six men at the crest of the volcano. The Marines raising the flag were:

Pharmacist’s Mate 2nd Class John H. Bradley and Pfc. Philip L. Ward. 1st Lt. Harold G. Shrier;  Pt. Sgt. Ernest I. Thomas, Jr.; Sgt. Henry O. Hansen; and Cpl. Charles W. Lindberg. The photograph of the scene was taken by Staff Sgt. Louis R. Lowery/Marine Corps.

Quoting from the Marine Times:

“The first flag was a symbol of hope for the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions, which fought tirelessly for every inch gained from the volcanic island’s black sands to Suribachi’s 554-foot peak. Raised on the fourth day of battle, the flag signaled to everyone on the island that a key enemy position had been silenced. Marines were taking the high ground, and there was now little doubt they would eventually take Iwo Jima from the 23,000 Japanese troops entrenched in an elaborate network of caves and tunnels.

The sight of that first flag drew a cheer that roared over the deafening sounds of war that had covered the tiny island. The cheer was so loud it captured the attention of Navy Secretary James Forrestal, who had just come ashore. He looked up to see the flag on a 20-foot water pipe, then turned to Lt. Gen. Holland “Howlin’ Mad” Smith and famously said “the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years.”

Lt. Colonel Chandler Johnson ordered the raising of a second, 96×56-inch flag so that it could be seen across the island. Pfc. Rene Gagon carried the flag that rose from the heights in the early afternoon. Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press (AP) took the iconic photograph of the second flag raising.

The six Marines raising the second flag were:

Sgt. Michael Strank, Cpl. Harlon Block, Pfc. Franklin Sousley, Pfc. Harold Keller Pfc. Ira Hayes and Cpl. Harold Schultz.

The bombing of Iwo Jima began on June 15, 1944. The Marines landed on February 19, 1945. The battle ended on March 26, 1945. Over the course of thirty-six days of combat, 6,800 Marines were killed, and approximately 20,000 were wounded. There were 218 survivors of the Japanese force of 18,000. These are mere statistics. What is lost are the names, the personalities of those who died, and, for many of us, the memory of the survivors.

The cost of freedom is high. As I reflect on the events of this day 80 years ago, I am reminded that my family has defended freedom beginning with the American Revolution. There are other memories of friends and veterans I met in the hospital who served. As I think about the sacrifices of the men and women who served our nation, I cannot help but question how we have fallen into our current deplorable state of affairs.  

I would ask you to read Hannah Beech’s New York Times article The Battle of Iwo Jima: A History.

newyorktimes.com/2025/02/23/world/asia/the-battle-of-iwo-jima-a-history-html

One respondent to this article wrote: “Imagine if every American who had a relative who fought in WWII (including women who worked in the factories of the home front) showed up to the National Mall with photos of their ancestors who fought authoritarianism in WWII? That is who we are honoring or dishonoring in our current response, or lack thereof, to the assault on our democracy.”

We would do well to consider the eulogy of Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn’s for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v886NgjSOF0