Marines: Second Marine Misidentified in Famous Iwo Jima Photo

| October 17, 2019

The website newser.com and nbc.com published articles that state that the Marine Corps is now saying that another serviceman was misidentified in the famous photo of the flag-raising at the Battle of Iwo Jima.

For the second time in less than four years, military historians have revised the list of the Marines seen in one of history’s most famous photos. Three historians who reviewed film footage and other photos say Cpl Harold ‘Pie’ Keller, not Pfc. Rene Gagnon, was one of the six men seen raising an American flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945, the Guardian reports. Their findings have been confirmed by a Marines investigative board and investigators from the FBI’s digital evidence lab. Keller, the second man from the right, is the most obscured of the six Marines in photographer Joe Rosenthal’s famous image. Keller, a Purple Heart winner from Brooklyn, Iowa, “never spoke about any of this when we were growing up ,” daughter Kay Maurer, 70, tells NBC.

The Marine Corps went on to add…

“Regardless of who was in the photograph, each and every Marine who set foot on Iwo Jima, or supported the effort from the sea and air around the island is, and always will be, a part of our Corps’ cherished history,” the Marines said in a statement.

Category: Marine Corps, Marines

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ninja

NBC goes into more detail on this story to include a graphic drawing as to the position of Cpl Harold ‘Pie’ Keller in the Iwo Jima picture

The article also has a picture of CPL Keller in Uniform as well as an interview with his daughter and how Keller received the nickname “Pie”.

The article also addresses what PFC Rene Gagnon was doing that day when the picture was taken.

Despite my personal dislike for NBC, the Journalist did an outstanding job covering the story and provided alot of details not covered by the reference news article in this post. It is worth reading:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/warrior-iconic-iwo-jima-flag-raising-photo-was-misidentified-marines-n1064766?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

Jay

I kind of like how you can not really see the faces of anyone in the picture. It really shows how it was a TEAM and not individual effort to take the island and it speaks volumes to the character of Cpl Keller in the fact he did not seek credit or adulation for his role in this iconic image of the 20th century.

5th/77th FA

The ones who did real war hero stuff never talked about it. Unlike the ones who NEVER did war hero stuff.

FuzeVT

Wow. It’s surprising that there was yet ANOTHER discovery here. As for those who, it seems, said they were in the picture that weren’t, I think I can understand that. The Marine Corps would want living heroes. That half of the guys originally identified at the time had died in battle also serves the cause as far as messaging, but I’m sure they wanted living folks to make the rounds and sell war bonds. In the book and movie it is depicted that Ira Hayes eschewed the attention and tried to – ultimately unsuccessfully – to dodge it. I can imagine that Keller may have – more successfully – as well. As to Bradley, having a Corpsman in the picture has great “Navy, Marine Corps Team” messaging. I can figure that Big Marine Corps told him and Gagnon (who was depicted as being more willing in book and movie) to shut up and color if the two had said they weren’t actually the guys in the photo. “All we need are heroes. You were on the hill and took part in the effort to raise the flag so guess what that makes you,” is how I imagine that conversation went.

Thunderstixx

Reading, “The Fleet at Flood Tide” It’s a book about the total War in the Pacific, which was an entirely different war than the War in Europe.
I’ve read about a hundred books about the Second World War and every last one of them reminds me of the true cost that our freedom demands.
The War in the Pacific was a war that stretched out for thousands of miles and brought out the worst in the war making capabilities of both sides.
Savagery was the rule of the day and no quarter was asked and no quarter was given.
Anyone that served in the US Marine Corp in WWII was a hero, plain and simple a hero.
Godspeed to all of them and God Bless our America, our Flag and all the best things she stands for….
(John Wayne, “In Harm’s Way”, the best movie he ever made).

Thunderstixx

Seriously, if you want to learn anything about the War in the Pacific, read any of the books written by James A Hornfischer.
They are filled with details, the humour, the trials and tribulations, the savage fighting, the love behind the scenes, and basically anything you ever wanted to know about that horrific period of time we call WWII…..
He’s probably one of the best authors on “The War in the Pacific” hand’s down…
“The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” about the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Great read.
“Neptune’s Inferno” about the Battle of the US Navy and USMC at Guadalcanal, Great Read.
“The Fleet at Flood Tide” 150 pages into it.Great read so far.
“Ship of Ghosts” the story of the USS Houston and the men that fought on her. Next book to read.
I guarantee you will be locked into those books if you start reading one of them.
They are available online at eBay new and used, also check Half Price Books and any other bookstore.

The Other Whitey

I’ve read all of those except Flood Tide. I also recommend “Strong Men, Armed” by Robert Leckie (author of “Helmet For My Pillow”). It’s very thorough, well-researched (of course, Leckie himself fought at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and the first day of Peleliu, where he was wounded and evaced), and Leckie has a way with words that could make drying paint into a page-turner.

Fyrfighter

Damn you two! My reading list just got longer… I agree TOW, Helmet for my pillow is an awesome book.. Guadalcanal Diary is another good one.. With the Old Breed as well.. If I was at home, I’d add a few more to the list..
Off topic, did you get demobed when you figured TOW?

The Other Whitey

Got demobed Monday, then got an out-of-county cover assignment. Got released from that yesterday and went home. That is, back to our home unit and station, not *home* home. Still working OT. STL continued to be a dickbag, but ceased to be our problem once the strike team disbanded. And the poison oak on my arm is starting to resemble one of the Martians from “Total Recall,” so that’s fun.

On a brighter note, my wife brought the kids over for dinner this evening. She also brought the first ultrasound pictures of the new baby!

Fyrfighter

Awesome man, that’s great! Not that long a shift here, just a 72 that might get extended to a 96. Glad to hear you at least get to visit with the family. We’ve got a few fires going here, one of our guys deployed, but nothing like out there. We are red flag starting today, for the next few days so that could get fun..

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

I think the last big Battleship battle was in Leyte Gulf when the Japanese were coming down the Suragol Straits and the US Navy used an old wooden sailing ship tactic called crossing the TEE, Where the Japanese were sailing perpindiculer to the US ships which were sailing in a circle on the top of the TEE (–I). Dotted lines are the Japanese ships and the capital I are the US Navy ships in a line traveling in a circle. As the lower US ships fired, they kept moving until the next ship on the bottom opened up as they went around in a circle. The Japanese couldn’t use their guns because the other Japanese ships were in the way and the straits were so narrow, their was a problem turning to get out of the way. Leyte gulf was actualy 3 battles.

The Other Whitey

The actions of the submarines USS Darter and USS Dace against Kurita’s task force prior to the main fight were pretty badass as well. Especially Dace’s rescue of Darter’s entire crew under fire after the latter went hard aground on a shallow reef in Palawan Passage—no casualties!

JacktheJarhead

I would also recommend With the Old Breed, by Eugene Sledge. A short book but a very good one.

Thunderstixx

Read that too.
Thanks.

Old NFO

Concur on Robert Leckie. Very good writer. And they were ALL heroes. Rene Gagnon helped raise the FIRST flag on Mt. Suribachi, the one that was replaced in the historic photograph.