Combat· World War II
Mount Suribachi
Mount Suribachi was the 550-foot volcano dominating Iwo's southern plain, honeycombed by Colonel Atsuchi's garrison with guns, tunnels, and observation posts.
Seizing it was essential before the drive north could succeed. The 28th Marines first cut across the island's narrow neck to isolate the mountain, then surrounded its base and worked up the slopes through cave-by-cave fighting. A patrol reached the crater rim and raised a small flag, soon replaced by the larger flag captured in the photograph that became the most famous image of the war. The Marines were the entire assault force here, and the flag-raising became the symbol of the Corps.
Podcast episodes on World War II
Record no. 839