February 1945. Even as victory in Europe was finally within reach, the war in the Pacific raged on. One of the most crucial & bloodiest battles of the war was the struggle for the island of Iwo Jima, which culminated with what would become one of the most iconic images in history: five Marines & a Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. The inspiring photo capturing that moment became a symbol of victory to a nation that had grown weary of was & made instant heroes of the six American soldiers at the base of the flag, some of whom would die soon after, never knowing they had been immortalized. But the surviving flag raisers had no interest in being held up as symbols & did not consider themselves heroes; they wanted only to stay on the front with their brothers in arms who were fighting & dying without fanfare or glory.
