Iwo Jima Essay

On February 19, 1945 one of the bloodiest battles of World War II commenced on the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima. Only five days later, “the shot seen round the world” (Turan) was captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. As it has been studied and proven time in and time out, the media was a driving force behind gathering support for entering the second world war after Pearl Harbor was bombed in December of 1941. Just like when someone hears the words “Pearl Harbor” they think, “a day that will live in infamy”, similarly when “Iwo Jima” is uttered, the first image that comes to mind is that one captured atop Mount Suribachi.
Since the day that image was first released to the public, it has been destined for greatness. Not only
First and foremost, it is important to know the relative details and facts about Iwo Jima and the flag raising in order to properly discuss how the collective memory of events that took place have been shaped and molded into what they are known to be today. As many people may or may not know, Joe Rosenthal was not the only photographer on the mountain the day the photo was captured. So when he heard that marines were hiking to the top of
Without the pyramid-like shape and strong diagonal line, the photo may have ended up covered in dust just as Lowery’s. So how exactly did Lowery’s picture stack up against Rosenthal’s perfect snapshot? Why is his not as actively discussed as the later of the two? Does collective memory play in a role in the reasoning behind these two questions? Many have made the argument that yes, collective memory – a powerful term in itself – does play a role. As the photo has appeared in many formats, so has the story associated with the