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Participants of the Joe Rosenthal plaque dedication ceremony posed for a picture around the plaque at the National Museum of the Marine Corps on Oct. 10, 2013. The ceremony was held on the 102nd anniversary of Rosenthal’s birthday.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Samuel Ellis

Photographer honored at National Museum

9 Oct 2013 | Lance Cpl. Samuel Ellis Marine Corps Base Quantico

On Feb. 23, 1945, Joe Rosenthal, Associated Press photographer, captured the image of six service members raising a U.S. flag on Iwo Jima, taking what some believe to be one of the most reproduced photographs of all time.

On Oct. 9, 2013, the 102nd anniversary of Rosenthal’s birth, more than a dozen people from around the country met at the Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel on the grounds of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Traingle, Va., to dedicate a plaque honoring the photographer who gave the Marine Corps one of its most recognizable symbols.

“That statue has lived in my mind for 65 years,” said retired Lt. Gen. Jan Huly, former deputy commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations. “It means almost as much as the eagle, globe and anchor to the Marines. Thanks for that, Joe Rosenthal.”

The ceremony featured several speakers including Huly, Dale Cook, president of the Joe Rosenthal Chapter, USMC Combat Correspondents Association and Hal Buell, author of Uncommon Valor, Common Virtue. The men recounted history, told personal stories and reflected on the significance of the late photographer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning piece.

“I’m not so sure there’s going to be a Marine Corps for the next 500 years,” said Huly. “But I am sure that because of the picture that Joe Rosenthal took, the Marine Corps will live in the hearts, minds and spirit of the American people for more than 500 years.”

In addition to the famous image, Rosenthal’s character was also a point of discussion for the participants of the ceremony. Col. Warren Weidhahn, executive vice president, Iwo Jima Association of America, recounted the first time he met Rosenthal.

“He put me immediately at ease,” said Weidhahn. “He was a very humble man.”

That humility can be seen in a quote from Rosenthal, listed in a brochure written by the Joe Rosenthal Chapter USMCCCA, that reflects the character of a simple photographer.

“I took the picture,” said Rosenthal. “The Marines took Iwo Jima.”

Correspondent: samuel.l.ellis@usmc.mil


Marine Corps Base Quantico