February 23, 1945

On this day, 62 years ago. Six men raised a flag on a mountain on a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean. The name of the island was Iwo Jima. The flag-raising signaled the capture of the mountain, although the whole island would not be secured until sometime later.
Of the six men who raised the flag, three would not make it off the island alive while two would never be able to adjust back to civilian life.
Joe Rosenthal, a war photographer, captured this the most reproduced picture of all time.

More US Marines earned the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima than in any other battle in US History.

In 36 days of fighting there were 25,851 US casualties (1 in 3 were killed or wounded).

Of these, 6,825 American boys were killed. Virtually all 22,000 Japanese perished

http://www.iwojima.com/

I will always remember, and February 23rd will always be a day of solemn appreciation,
from me, for what these men have done.