Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Alan Wood - Provided Flag at Iwo Jima


Former US Marine Alan Wood was at Iwo Jima during the bloody conflict in the final months of World War II. He was a 22 year old Navy officer in charge of communications on a landing ship off the island's shore when he was asked by a Marine for a large flag. Wood had a 37 square foot one that he previously procured from a Pearl Harbor Navy depot.

Later that day on February 23, 1945, the flag was hoisted by five Marines and a Navy corpsman on Mt Suribachi. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal captured the moment in the iconic picture that has become the symbol of the US Marines.

Mr Wood died on April 18, 2013 at the age of 90 of natural causes at his Sierra Madre, California home.

After the war, Mr Wood worked as a technical artist and later as the spokesperson for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge, CA.

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