On this date, 71 years ago, one of the most icon moments in U.S. history occurred on a small volcanic island in the South Pacific.
On Feb. 23, 1945, during World War II, U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima captured Mount Suribachi, where they raised a pair of American flags.
The battle is remembered for Joe Rosenthal's Associated Press photograph of the raising of the U.S. flag on top of Mount Suribachi by five U.S. Marines and one U.S. Navy corpsman.
A film by Marine Staff Sgt. Bill Genaust recorded the second flag-raising on the mountain, both of which took place on the fifth day of the 36-day battle.
The moments have been revered for decades as the epitome of American perseverance and bravery.
Throughout Tuesday, the Marines Corps' official Twitter account has been live-Tweeting the battle as if it was occurring in real time. Follow along using #TweetsFromIwo.
#TweetsFromIwo | Marines from 2/27 begin to replace 1/26 while under heavy fire.https://t.co/dhjrNQyTYX
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) February 23, 2016
