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Gerard St. John: Joe Rosenthal’s Iwo Jima Gerard J. St. John November 10, 2025 November 9, 2025

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It is a magnificent photograph. Look at it closely. It is the fifth day of the 36-day Battle of Iwo Jima; one four-hundredth of a second frozen in time.

There is a natural balance of geometric shapes. The flagpole divides the rectangular frame into two triangles relatively equal in size.

The pyramid-like bulk of six Marines at the base of the pole forms another triangle, this one in the center of the photo. The Marines are focused on the task at hand, raising the flag.

No weapons are evident. No one is looking at the camera. Our eyes are drawn up the pole to the flag that seems to be unfurling in t

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