Firstly I would like to say that this is a superbly made and revealing film of what was, to become and is, one of America's most important iconic events in its history. Its especially good that the makers included the (the actual truthful events that happened that day) real facts of what the original 6 Marines, atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, did on that momentous day. The raising of that flag gave many of the brave soldiers left alive, a great sense of relief and raised their moral and lessened their feelings of hopelessness and despair; which they had all suffered from for 3 hellish and tortuous months of slaughter and death!

The photograph was taken by Joe Rosenthal, of the Associated Press, on 23rd/February/1945 in the final stages of the Pacific War. It was a case of the right place at the right time (something that often happens when memorable events are documented/recorded). It was an instant snap of 6 rag tag, tired and worn out, men hoisting a small American flag on a long tree branch amidst a battle that was still going on.

Corrupt American Military top brass orchestrated and recreated a substitute fake photograph for the sake of propaganda...that suited their ego's! So sadly! Those men never saw the real photograph. Nor did the rest of America, or the world because, the top brass didn't think the flag was big enough (a typical Americanism still around today...everything has to be bigger, shinier and better than everything/everyone else). So the next day the picture was retaken and posed for, but using a gigantic American flag this time around!

A special moment for all those marines, on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, and anything that gives people hope is fine with me; just a shame that politicians and propaganda had to stick their arrogant ideas into the picture (no pun intended). Well worth watching this wonderful piece of history!

I have to say I was ignorant of this until watching this show. As someone who joined the Navy to become a corpsman and served with Marines, this has particular meaning to me in many ways. No matter if you know the story or not, this is very much worth watching.