Quote:
Originally Posted by LaneSig
A high-ranking officer decided that he wanted the first flag that was raised, so this group of guys were raising a second flag.
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True, and thanks -- I neglected to mention that point. It was the Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, who was present and wanted the flag. When his desire for the flag was relayed to the battalion commander, it was not taken well. With appropriate profanities, he declared that the flag belonged to the battalion. He decided to get it for the battalion before anyone else got it for Forrester, so he sent an officer to get a replacement flag. Included in the instructions were "make it a bigger one."
ETA: Both the flags are now in the Marine Corps Museum in Washington.
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Opi_
My history is a little off..did this happen before or after they nuked the Japanese?
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Before. (February of 1945, with the bombings in August of that year.)
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