US Marines raising the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima

Colorized an iconic photo taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945, depicting US Marines raising the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi after its capture during the Battle of Iwo Jima,. The mount is a dormant volcano top, the dominant geographical feature of the island that enabled the Americans to have a strategic view over the island, Despite capturing Suribachi, the battle continued for many days until 31 days later, on March 26. when US victory was complete. The photo was first published on February 25, 1945, reprinted in thousands of publications. and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Photography, the only photo to win in the same year as its publication. It became one of the most significant and recognizable images of the war. Colorized with liberties on the bland empty background.

A U.S. Marine flamethrower, one of the many who had the weapon proven to be quite effective in winning the month long Battle of Iwo Jima, 1945

Here is my colorized take on a photo showing a typical U.S. Marine flamethrower. The M2 flamethrower served as the single most effective weapon in major Iwo Jima engagements against Japanese troops who hid in pillboxes, caves, buildings, and bunkers that have proven to be invulnerable to earlier bombing runs, artillery and naval bombardment.

Colorized photo of a U.S. Marine aiming his rifle during the Battle of Iwo Jima

Colorized photo of a U.S. Marine aiming his rifle in practice during a lull in the Battle of Iwo Jima from 19Feb to 26Mar 1945. Under Operation Detachment meant to capture Iwo Jima as a staging point to attack Japan, US Marines faced the fiercest and bloodiest battles against a well-prepared and well-entrenched Japanese Imperial Army who considered the defense of Iwo Jima their last hope of prolonging the war and preventing it from reaching Japan. Virtually nothing from the naval bombardment or bombings conducted by the U.S. allied forces made any impact and securing the beachhead made the Invasion of Normandy look like a walk in the park by comparison. It took America 36 days to defeat the enemy and capture the island. It was the only battle in the Pacific where the American wounded exceeded the Japanese, although Japanese combat deaths numbered three times as many as American deaths.