<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of the most iconic photographs in the history of warfare was taken on February 23, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The image of the six United States Marines raising the 'Stars and Stripes' became a hallowed image of their countrymen's courage in one of the bloodiest struggles of the Pacific campaign.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>From the 74,000 Marines that landed on Iwo Jima, more than a third were killed or wounded by the opposing Japanese defenders who were determined to fight to the last man.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/maralago-shooting-us-secret-service-shoots-man-at-donald-trumps-florida-residence/46f8705e-f4dd-4894-979f-de682908e330" rel="" target="_blank" title="Gunman shot dead at Trump's Florida home"><strong><span>Gunman shot dead at Trump's Florida home</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But in 2019, decades after the famous photo by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal was taken, it emerged the US Marine Corps had misidentified one of the men in it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead of Private First Class Rene Gagnon shown at the rear of the image, it was in fact Corporal Harold "Pie" Keller.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Questions about who was really in the photograph were raised in 2016 by two American history buffs. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-23-what-happened-on-this-day/db306331-7d22-4b0e-af36-d5efa411647d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This prompted the US Marines Corps to set up an expert review panel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It soon concluded Private First Class Harold Schultz was in the photo and that US Navy Pharmacist's Mate John Bradley wasn't.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A book by Bradley's son James, </span><em><span>Flags of Our Fathers</span></em><span>, was adapted into an Oscar-nominated Clint Eastwood film in 2006.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/cold-case-haroula-kipouridous-police-offer-1m-reward-to-solve-1981-cold-case-sex-assault-and-murder/86276d0d-774b-479c-8759-11be01a9d7a8"><strong><span>Rare $1m offer over singer found dead in jammed lift</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US Marine Corps said in 2019, regardless of who was in the photograph, the image was part of its "cherished history".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Three of the six soldiers in the photo would die in the later stages of the Battle of Iwo JIma.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Pulitzer Prize was later awarded to Rosenthal for taking the iconic picture.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>US commanders identified Iwo Jima as a valuable air base for long-range fighters to protect B-29 Superfortresses carrying out bombing missions over Japan's capital Tokyo.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The island was regarded as lightly defended and was expected to fall within a day.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But, hidden in fortified caves and pillboxes linked by a series of tunnels, the 20,000-strong Japanese garrison relentlessly fought the Americans.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US Marines finally seized the entire island on March 26, 1945.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Only 216 Japanese troops would be taken prisoner. The remainder would die on the island.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>