USMC 28th Marines Uncommon Valor Patch — Embroidered Patch The Flag Raisers of Iwo Jima The 28th Marine Regiment will forever be linked to the most iconic image in American military history — the raising of the flag atop Mount Suribachi. But the story behind that photograph is one of extraordinary courage, devastating loss, and a battle fought yard by yard up a fortress volcano that the Japanese had turned into a killing machine. The 28th Marines, part of the 5th Marine Division, were tasked with the most formidable initial objective on Iwo Jima: isolate and capture Mount Suribachi, the 554-foot volcanic peak that dominated the entire southern end of the island. Landing at the base of Suribachi on February 19, 1945, the regiment fought through four days of savage combat against defenders dug into caves, tunnels, and reinforced positions honeycombing the mountain. On February 23, a patrol from Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines reached the summit and raised a small American flag. Later that day, a larger flag was raised — captured by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal in what became the most famous war photograph ever taken. Admiral Chester Nimitz said of Iwo Jima: "Uncommon valor was a common virtue." Perfect For: Iwo Jima veterans and families, 5th MARDIV association members, flag-raising historians, Marine Corps heritage enthusiasts, WWII photographers and history buffs, and anyone moved by the image that came to symbolize American sacrifice. Uncommon valor was a common virtue — and the 28th Marines proved it.
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