Nye 1 Cameron Nye 11 November 2011 A Realization of Extraordinary Measures The date is February 23, 1945.

Five Marines and a Navy Corpsman are raising the United States flag atop the highest point of Iwo Jima, Mt. Suribachi. The background is deserted; no soldiers or recently destructed materials are present, just empty plains and an overcast sky. The servicemen are standing on a foreground in complete contrast with the scenery around them. Under their feet are the unfortunate devastations of warfare, including mangled pieces of bodies, wood, metal, and shrapnel. Despite these inadequate conditions, the six serviceman work together in seemingly perfect unison to raise the weighty twenty foot pole, with the stars and stripes attached, into the dreary island sky. The leader of the crew, positioned at the front of the contour with his hands gripped at the base of the pole and his feet thoroughly dug into the ground, is bent over pushing with all his strength. This visibly contagious effort transfers directly throughout the rest of the crewmembers, to the last serviceman at the end of the line; although his force is no longer needed, as the pole leaves his reach, he still lunges upward with his hands extended trying to bestow every last fragment of his energy into the task. Their mannerisms and careful positioning certainly confirm that this mission is of top importance to them.

Nye 2 This historic event, depicted in an iconic photograph by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, took place in the midst of the most famous battle of World War II, and arguably the most important battle in U.S. history: The Battle of Iwo Jima. Location was the central element that brought two opposing nations to battle on this undersized island in the Pacific Ocean, causing thousands of men to lose their lives. The island of Iwo Jima was approximately 660 miles south of Tokyo making it almost exactly the midpoint between Japan and the American bomber fortress in the Marianas (Frank 58). Seizing the Japanese controlled island was of paramount importance to the U.S. for two main reasons, In American hands, it would simultaneously permit basing of escort fighters for B-29 raids on Japan and provide a haven for Superfortresses in distress. In the longer term, it might prove an indispensable support and staging base for an invasion of Japan (Frank 58). Realizing the obvious importance of Iwo Jima, the Japanese deployed about 22,000 soldiers to defend the island (Frank 58). The necessity of the island to the American plans for winning World War II, and the Japanese importance of maintaining control of the island to halt American progress through the Pacific, set the stage for the bloodiest battle of the war. For Operation Detachment, the seizure of Iwo Jima, the United States deployed over 70,000 troops to the island (Smith 53). When the American soldiers arrived on the island, they were surprised to find the land mass seemingly deserted (Frank 59). Many of the Japanese soldiers were hulled up in underground bunkers and caves to avoid sight of the Americans and to strike with the element of surprise (Smith 53). The Japanese attacked carefully and methodically to maximize each out lash. Corporal Glenn Buzzard, machine gunner of the 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division recalled:

Nye 3 You didn't see too many Japs. Once in a while they'd run from one cave to another. You more or less seen their fire. You could see dust coming. As soon as we'd see that, we'd zone right in, and when we got up there, they'd be layin' there. [...] I saw one marine shoot another marine bone-dead right in my squad because he went around this way and the other went around that way and, it was just like I said, you don't have a split second. You just pull the trigger. Shoot first. Whoever does, they're the one's going to win. We had to take the guy that shot the other marine, take him clear out because he just went berserk. (Smith 59) This distinctive war tactic played games with the American soldiers' heads and tested their mental strength for the first time on the same level as physical. Richard B. Frank, author of "The Marines' Most Famous Battle," stated, "For the combatants, Iwo Jima provided one of the eeriest combat experiences of the war. The Japanese were thoroughly dug in and made a habit of dragging away their dead and wounded; many Marines seldom saw a live or even a dead enemy fighter. The Marines felt as if they were battling the very earth itself, not its human denizens" (Frank 59). The lethal fighting lasted for 36 days before the United States attained full control of Iwo Jima (Revis 51). The American price for the island was 24,733 brave, extraordinary soldiers, including 6,913 killed in battle, while the Japanese lost the lives of over 20,000 men (Frank 59). In my first eighteen years of existence, each occasion my eyes came into contact with the photograph of the flag raising on Iwo Jima, I could not help but imagine the joy and celebration that must have been present on the island. I took a certain amount of consolation in the fact that even though the soldiers were in the middle of the bloodiest, cruelest battle of the war, they were able to celebrate this patriotic moment with each other. The photograph, which became the most

Nye 4 famous image of the war, was immediately printed in newspapers across the country. It was then reproduced in magazines, posters, stamps, and billboards. Families posted the photograph on their living room and dining room walls for inspiration and support (Hairman 363). The image launched a support campaign that swept the nation leaving nobody emotionally unaffected. I figured witnessing old glory rise into the air, signaling the possession of Mt. Suribachi, must have been the most inspirational sight the soldiers have ever witnessed. I envisioned a crowd of people gathered around to watch the pole with the stars and stripes be raised upright, and the photographer set up to capture the group of proud serviceman complete the iconic moment. As inspirational as the photograph was to the entire country of the United States of America, I could only imagine the level of motivational encouragement the event brought to the soldiers fighting for their lives on Iwo Jima. However, this view became replaced when a certain person led me to new perception of the photograph. My junior year of high school I had the privilege of meeting the person who single handedly influenced my life in a positive manner more than anybody else. His name is E.L. "Bud" Gott. I first met him at my basketball coach's house for team dinner the night before our playoff game, at which he was our guest speaker. My first memory of Mr. Gott was derived from the instant I met him. Our coach had given us prior instructions to be sure and introduce ourselves to the guest speaker, so to fulfill my coach's wishes I walked up to Mr. Gott to introduce myself, to find that the introduction was actually unnecessary. Mr. Gott already knew my name. "Nice to meet you Cameron," he said in his powerfully deep, yet kind voice with a smile present on his face, "I had your mother and father in school." Continuing my amazement, and certainly extending my admiration, Mr. Gott not only knew my name, but all the other player's names as well. Later that night he revealed to us that he was a World War II veteran,

Nye 5 and fought 33 long days before sustaining a war-ending injury in the Battle of Iwo Jima. I was shocked to find that no where in his presentation did he talk about the flag rising on Mt. Suribachi, but I pushed the thought aside and did not ask questions. His memorable first impression and the emotional presentation he gave us on the Battle of Iwo Jima yielded an interest from myself that wanted to learn more about this unique old man. Fortunately, our similar interests consisting of sports, academics, and working out at the gym brought us together at many junctures over the next two years. As I became more acquainted with Mr. Gott, my impression only continued to grow. It did not take long for me to realize he was a man composed of integrity, honor, and altruism that lived up to a higher standard of character than anybody I had ever seen before. He taught me many positive character traits and productive habits to develop during the far too short amount of time he was present in my life. To the despair of the substantial number of people in the north state who had the honor of knowing him, Mr. Gott passed away last summer. I was completely devastated with the realization that my town, and the world, truly was a worse place now that his strong positive presence would not be around anymore. I tried to take consolation in the adage 'all good things come to and end,' but the saying did not capitulate the justice acceptable for myself. I remember sitting at his burial service in sheer awe while the numerous military components were performed in honor of the fallen veteran. When the words, "Uncommon valor was a common virtue" were read by one of the officiators describing the events on Iwo Jima, something inside myself clicked and I began to put the underlying message of my precious moments with Mr. Gott together. As I sat there trying to disguise my tears behind the shelter of my sunglasses, the photograph of the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi materialized at the forefront of my memory; but

Nye 6 this occasion I seen it much differently. I realized that Mr. Gott did not mention the flag rising in his presentation because it was not important to him. What was important to him was defeating the Japanese to protect himself, his family, and his beloved nation. There were no glamorous celebrations when the flag went up. The six servicemen did not raise the flag in the hopes of getting their picture taken; they raised the flag because their commanding officer instructed them to do so, and they did it with such precision because they were trying to do the best job possible. They were certainly unaware that their actions at that instant would inspire an entire nation. Similarly, Mr. Gott did not conduct himself in a manner of such high moral and ethical proportions to impress anybody or gain attention. He lived his life in this regard because he was simply trying to be the best person he could possibly be; and just as the servicemen were unaware to the caliber of impact their actions had on a nation, Mr. Gott was oblivious to the positive influence he had on my character
In 2007 Mr. Gott returned to Iwo Jima for the first time since 1945. Here he is pictured stepping off the plane onto the terrain cemented in his memories.

development. Through this he taught me the most important lesson of all. Extraordinary people can be defined as those that perform extraordinary deeds without thinking their actions are different than the ordinary. These types of people do not need or expect to be recognized for their heroic services. They live their lives attempting to be the best person possible not for attention, but because it is the right thing to do. Mr. Gott, the serviceman that raised the flag, as well as all the marines that fought in the heroic Battle of Iwo Jima, possessed this unique quality that made them extraordinary people.

Nye 7 Works Cited Frank, Richard B. "The Marines' Most Famous Battle" Naval History 24.2 (2010): 58-59. Military and Government Collection. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. Hairman, Robert and John Louis Lucaites. "Performing Civic Identity: The Iconic Photograph of the Flag Raising on Iwo Jima" Quarterly Journal of Speech 88.4 (2002): 363-393. Communication and Mass Media Complete. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. Revis, Avan P. "Letters to Iwo Jima" Naval History 23.1 (2009): 44-51. Military and Government Collection. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. Smith, Larry. "Voices from Iwo Jima" World War II 23.2 (2008): 52-61. Academic Search Elite. Web. 03 Nov. 2011.