USMC Acknowledges Misidentification On Iwo Flag Raising

[Dennis The B]

I saw this story link run on USA Today.

I've seen a couple of TV documentaries, along with several article on the web. From the stories, people who investigated found a lot of details which seem to prove the point.

Evidently PFC Harold Schultz was the "sixth man" depicted in Joe Rosenthal's historic photo. The article states that PhM2 John Bradley had participated in in the first flag raising, but not the second. From my reading, the investigators got down to details such as how web gear was worn, and bloused v. unbloused trousers, etc.

Harold Schultz lived his life in obscurity, perhaps only mentioning his participation as "being there", to his family. Typical of the modesty of "The Greatest Generation. Somehow, "Thank You" still doesn't seem enough.

Marines misidentified one man in iconic 1945 Iwo Jima photo

 

[Targets Guy]

God bless them all.

 

[AZretired]

After reading the article, it sounds like they still aren't absolutely sure and never will be. Other's that were there identified John Bradley, do yhey now take that memory from his family? Let sleeping dogs lie!

 

[okiegtrider]

From the article: "It's difficult to fathom his desire to keep his role quiet in an era when many Navy SEALs and other servicemen are rushing books into print about their exploits."

In this is age of selfishness, selfies, and entitlement, I can see where some struggle with the idea of selflessness.

 

[chud333]

I saw this story link run on USA Today.


Harold Schultz lived his life in obscurity, perhaps only mentioning his participation as "being there", to his family. Typical of the modesty of "The Greatest Generation. Somehow, "Thank You" still doesn't seem enough.

Marines misidentified one man in iconic 1945 Iwo Jima photo

Obscure to some perhaps. Not in my eyes.
All who were there are Heroes.

Doesn't really matter who raised the Flag.

I'd bet the guys who originally did it would tell you the same.
They weren't looking to get memorialized.

Chuck

 

[Chuck24]

This is I believe the second misidentification, the first being corrected in a1947. Occurred I believe by Roosevelts insistence that the men be identified for war bond sales purposes. At least one other waned to remain anonymous. I can't see where this takes anything away from Bradley's family since his son was one of the first to raise doubts about his dad's participation . Bradley was thought to have been involved in the first flag raising and this may be where the confusion arose.

 

[timjake]

Original article on the research (Nov 2014):
Iwo Jima: New mystery arises from iconic image - Omaha.com - Omaha World-Herald

Frame by frame examination of pictures:
Flag Raisers - 5th Marine Division

 

[GB]

Never-the-less, Bradley was a recipient of the Navy Cross. (I don't believe that "Won" is a proper term to use for any medal of valor) Like most all combat vets, he did what he was trained to do in an extraordinary manor and then went on to live a good life. The book, by his son, is a great read.

 

[Ozark Marine]

The unique thing about a Marine is never saying "I" won the battle, "I" saved the day, "I'm" the hero. When we talk to eachother, the word used is WE. We were formed in Tunn Tavern, we defeated the Germans in Belleau Woods, we landed on enemy islands and defeated superior Japanese forces, we fought the Chinese and North Koreans at the Frozen Chosin and a thousand other hills. We held off 40,000 NVA at Khe Sanh and we took back the city of Hue in Viet Nam and thousand's of other fire fights. We liberated Kuwait, we serve at Embassy's and aboard U.S. Navy Ships all over the world.
The day a recruit graduates from MCRD and is presented his Eagle Globe and Anchor, he becomes a U.S.Marine, one of us and shares our Marine Corps fighting history and us old Marines share the young Marines future victory's.
And God Bless the Navy Corpsmen, bravest men I've ever known.
Semper Fi

 

[amazingflapjack]

He was smart-look what happened to the rest. "Do your good deed in secret..."

 

[Skydivinglawyer]

By happenstance ..... I boarded a plane in Denver and sat next to Robert Filkowski. The youngest NCO at Iwo Jima at age 16. He was laying on the ground with a bullet through his helmet/headwound when the first flag was raised. His helmet is bronzed and at the Museum at Quantico. He is on the History Channel a few times a year. Of the 25 or so MOHs awarded, he knew five or more. We talked a bit about Iwo Jima and he wanted to know about Vietnam. Then we talked about girls.
Lee Marvin used to call him on a regular basis to see if he'd broken up with this really beautiful lady so Lee could make a move. It was a no-go.
The.Right.Stuff. An Honor to meet him.

 

[OFT II]

They all had a hand in getting that flag up. It doesn't matter if they had a hand on it. Brave men.

 

[LostintheOzone]

If you read the book Iwo Jima by Bill Ross you will probably understand why one marine out of the 26000 casualties would feel like he did anything special. He probably felt lucky just to have lived through it. Unbelievable the courage it took for anyone to have participated in that.

 

[Targets Guy]

After reading the article, it sounds like they still aren't absolutely sure and never will be. Other's that were there identified John Bradley, do yhey now take that memory from his family? Let sleeping dogs lie!

I agree but at least in his case he did help raise the first flag. We owe all those folks so much.

 

[pharris]

His daughter said on NPR that he told her he had helped raise the flag, and she said " daddy you are a hero" he said "no just a marine"