Members of the Marine Corps' 5th Division raise an American flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945. (Joe Rosenthal/Photo 12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
"The taking of the 554-foot hill was significant, in that it suppressed the fire from Japanese who were dug in and who had prime vantage of much of the island," the DOD report reads.
Fighting continued on the island until March 26, resulting in the injury or death of about 27,000 Marines and sailors.
The brutal fighting also led to the deaths of 21,000 Japanese soldiers, who defended the island through a series of caves, tunnels and pillboxes.
The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, which depicts the raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima, is seen in Arlington, Va., on Sept. 27, 2021. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Block, Sousley and Strank were later killed during the fighting on Iwo Jima.
But the image has endured the test of time, being duplicated on everything from postage stamps to a memorial just north of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Prior to joining Fox News, Michael worked for the Washington Examiner, Bongino.com, and Unbiased America. He has covered politics for more than eight years.
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