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UrbScotty

(23,979 posts)
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:35 PM Apr 2013

Word War II vet who provided flag at Iwo Jima dead at 90

Source: NBC

A veteran of World War II credited with providing the flag in the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima has died at his Los Angeles County home. Alan Wood died of natural causes April 18 at the age of 90, his son Steven Wood announced Saturday.

Wood was a 22-year-old Navy officer in charge of communications on a landing ship on Iwo Jima's shores on Feb. 23, 1945 when a Marine asked him for the biggest flag he could find.

After five days of intense fighting to capture the Japanese-held island, U.S. forces had managed to scale Mount Suribachi to hoist an American flag. Woods happened to have a 37-square-foot flag that he had found months before in a Pearl Harbor Navy depot.

Five Marines and a Navy Corpsman raised the flag in a stirring moment captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. Steven Wood said his father was always humbled by his small role in the historic moment.

Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/28/17957227-word-war-ii-vet-who-provided-flag-at-iwo-jima-dead-at-90?lite

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Word War II vet who provided flag at Iwo Jima dead at 90 (Original Post) UrbScotty Apr 2013 OP
Another of the greatest generation liberal N proud Apr 2013 #1
K&R! Omaha Steve Apr 2013 #2
Semper Fortis n/t actslikeacarrot Apr 2013 #3
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