#Real war pictures movie

In one movement he turned, raised his camera, clicked his single shot, and left the rest to fate. Through one corner of his eye he caught sight of the Marines raising the fluttering flag. But it’s reflexes that make a war photographer, and Rosenthal’s were catlike. Army had rejected Rosenthal as a photographer because he had poor eyesight. Rosenthal turned to look at him-and nearly missed the shot of the century.

#Real war pictures movie

“I’m not in your way, Joe, am I?” asked a movie cameraman on the scene. Frantically, the five-foot-five photographer piled up some sandbags to stand on. Now he was in a race against time, trying to get a good vantage point in the seconds before the second flag was raised. War photographers almost never get second chances at great shots, but Rosenthal knew he had one here.

When he got there, he noticed a team of Marines preparing to raise a second, larger flag, on orders from Marine brass, who wanted it to be visible from all over the island. Still, Rosenthal pressed on, hoping to get some good shots from the summit. Along the way he met Rosenthal, still struggling to get to the top, and gave him the bad news: The flag was already up. While diving for cover, Lowery broke his camera, so he headed down the hill to get new equipment. Marine photographer Staff Sergeant Louis Lowery snapped the moment when the makeshift flagpole was erected, but the sight of that flag drew a volley of fire from Japanese troops. Unauthorized use is prohibited.īefore he reached the summit of Mount Suribachi’s 554-foot volcanic cone, a team of Marines had already raised a small U.S.