Press Outraged Over Staged Flagraising
March 3rd, 1945
IWO JIMA (Routers) Controversy has erupted among the press corps in the last
few days as news has spread that the now-famous picture of the “victorious”
flag raising over Iwo Jima a couple weeks ago was staged. Many believe that, as
the huge number of casualties mounted in the ill-fated and pointless invasion
of this tiny island, the Roosevelt administration, desperate for a bit of pro-
war propaganda, arranged to have the photo taken for dissemination to the
world’s news services.
It has been revealed that the picture was actually of a “recreation” of an
earlier flag raising of a much smaller flag, though even that event has now
been cast into doubt by the apparent attempt to mislead the press.
There is abundant evidence that the picture was not only unspontaneous, but
orchestrated on orders from higher ups.
“None of the men in the picture actually carried the flag to the top,” one
reporter noted. “It was brought up by a lieutenant in charge, probably at White
House orders.” In addition, none of the men in the picture had even been
injured in the fighting to that point.
The latest propaganda ploy from the administration comes in the midst of doubts
about the war strategy, with many thinking this latest bloody adventure
particularly misguided. Several thousand Marines have died already in the
invasion, and many more have been injured, many losing limbs. Moreover, despite
the “victory” implied by the “flag raising,” the brave Japanese continue to
resist in caves dug deep into the volcanic rock of the doughty little island,
with continuing “Allied” casualties. One Republican staffer on the Hill
declared that it was Roosevelt’s attempt to prematurely declare “major combat
operations over,” when it was clear that the Japanese were going to continue to
fight on to the last man.
Beyond the distaste at what now seems an obvious public-relations ploy, some
military strategists argue that the Iwo Jima invasion wasn’t worth the cost in
resources and blood, or even necessary at all, since the only reason the island
is desired is as an auxiliary air base for emergency landings of “Allied”
bombers attacking the Japanese homeland.
Some of the anti-war groups are particularly outraged. “We’ve killed tens of
thousands of Japanese soldiers, and several thousand of our own, just so we can
save the lives of a few American air crews while they kill hundreds of
thousands of helpless Japanese civilians,” read a press release from one of the
more prominent groups. It continued, “Now we find the Roosevelt administration
attempting to cover up its criminal actions by staging events meant to hide the
fact that we’re losing this cruel war, with massive casualties on all sides.”
The White House, of course, attempts to defend its actions. A spokesman points
out that no claims have been made that fighting was over, and that the photo
was a depiction of a real event that had occurred shortly before, but not been
captured by the cameras. He also noted that Mount Suribachi was in fact taken
that day, and had not been relinquished since.
This does not satisfy critics in the press or the anti-war movement, however.
“It’s important to demonstrate the perfidy and mendacity of this administration
now,” said one leading spokesman, “before it becomes fixed in the mind of the
public as an American ‘victory,’ or something to be admired and emulated in the
future. If we don’t set the record straight now, who knows how history will
record it? For all we know, they’ll decide to put up a bronze statue in
Arlington to commemorate it, or something.”
