MSU Red Cedar Message Board

You, my friend, are a complete and utter idiot. This is "possibly the most reproduced photograph of all time."

So you don't think the first attack by America on the Japanese islands was a big deal? In this battle, 21,844 Japanese soldiers died, out of a force 22,060 (216 survived). American casualties exceeded the Japanese, with 6,821 killed, 19,217 injured. You'd be speaking freaking Japanese or German if the effing Americans hadn't saved your ass so you'd better start paying some respect.

"Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" is a historic photograph taken on 23 February 1945 by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi. The photograph was extremely popular, being reprinted in thousands of publications. Later, it became the only photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year as its publication, and ultimately came to be regarded as one of the most significant and recognizable images of the war, and possibly the most reproduced photograph of all time. Of the six men depicted in the picture, three (Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, and Michael Strank) did not survive the battle"

Wow, you're an idiot again. Yeah, the British, Canadians, and heck probably the French don't care either. You know why?? Because they weren't fucking there. We were the only country that had the will to travel to the other side of the world and defeat Japan after defeating Hitler in Europe. The rest were burned out.

So yeah, no big deal to the rest of the world but try telling that to the families of 100,000+ Americans who died in the Pacific theater. This picture symbolizes that part of the war for them.

You have an interesting way of agreeing with someone.

Yes, how many other photographs have national monuments constructed based on the photo's image.

Wow, if the photo that symbolizes the last stage of the greatest war in this world's history doesn't make the cut, I'm not sure what does. Oh, maybe you forgot, this wasn't an American war.

The one thing I think is interesting with the submission of the Iwo Jima picture is how it speaks the advantages and success of the American military. Most, if not all, the pictures that have been put for prior to this picture are about the human element of war. How death affects children, extended family, and animals. The effects of genocide and bombing hurts civilians such as women and children. How protestors should't be shot and political assassinations influence the politicians family and culture. It seems Iwo Jima comes from the point of view that America will always prevail. Which is wonderful and great, but for Americans.

What about for the Jews, Chinese, Poles, Ukranians, Australians, etc, etc??? It worked out pretty well that we won for them, right?

Honestly, I think it was more important that Russia won the Battle of Stalingrad.

I bet these Australian POWs found the image of the Americans defeating their Japanese oppressors to be pretty powerful.

I would argue that the picture that you put forth is more powerful because it shows the atrocities that man can commit to a fellow man. You haven't argued anything other than the world is better because America has an awesome military and won at Iwo Jima feeding the ideas of American Exceptionalism and our Military Complex.

I think it can be argued that Japan was no way in a position to win the war in February and March of 1945 and that while Iwo Jima provided a tactical position for the bomb, it was not the single turning point that saved POWs in the Pacific. But that goes into WWII history and less on powerful images. The point of this thread is to have the most powerful photographs ever taken. I think in order to have one of the most powerful photographs it needs to transcend cultures, I am still waiting to hear how the picture from Iwo Jima does that.

While I will agree that these pictures are also powerful, I can guarantee that many throughout the world found the images of the tide turning in the Pacific to be extremely powerful and uplifting.

An emaciated Australian
POW shows the effects of
malnutrition typical of many
Allied prisoners of the
Japanese.