Iwo Jima: Monuments, Memories, and the American Hero

Having recently finished "Flags of Our Fathers", Marling & Wetenhall's "Iwo Jima: Monuments, Memories and The American Hero" is a great companion to "Flags" (although it was written over 10 years earlier) because it concentrates less on who the men were in the famous photo and more on how Joe Rosenthal's photo was used in post war society. Where the book really shines is all the information regarding the propaganda, back room bickering and profiteering that resulted from this famous photo. The book does touch on the required elements leading up to both flag raisings and the subsequent bond tour, but it excels at capturing the reality of how the photo was incorporated into the American way of life after the war. The details of the propaganda and capitalism surrounding this photo, and the memory of the men who fought this battle, is what makes the book interesting. The reader is left with a sense of irony because where the photo represents the achievement of brothers banding together in unified victory, this image in post war society caused rifts among many people and almost cheapened the sacrifices of the brave men on Iwo Jima. The Postal department fighting with Congress over the image on stamps, the Sculptures Union fighting with the government over De Weldon as the official sculpture for the memorial, and the slighting of the original flag raisers are all examples of how this image caused divisiveness. Everyone wanted to capitalize on this image. De Waldon made a fortune building many replicas and selling nick knacks of the flag raising, corporate America used it sell products, and Hollywood profited by perpetuating a myth. As if what these men accomplished on Iwo Jima was not compelling enough, even the authentic flag had to made more authentic: "The same flag - a stateside publicist had fired a pistol at the banner, to make it look more authentic - must now inspire the utmost effort..." The last chapter in this book "D+40 Years: A Gathering of Heroes" is a very moving portrait of the 40th anniversary where both Japanese and American veterans confront past enemies on the island of Iwo Jima for one last time. This chapter brings the actual events of 1945 back into focus and demands the reader to re-evaluate the passing of time and events since one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corp history.