Navy Officer Who Provided US Flag for Iconic Iwo Jima Photo -- RIP

Photo: Joe Rosenthal/Associated Press

US Navy officer Alan Wood was serving on one of the ships in the American armada that accompanied the Marines to Iwo Jima during World War II. During the battle, he was asked to provide a large US flag for the photo op that remains, for Americans, among the Pacific War's enduring iconic images.

The original flag used on Mt. Suribachi was rumored to have been given to Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal. He was observing the battle and allegedly wanted a memento of the hill's capture. According to Wood's obit in the Los Angeles Times, "a tired Marine" approached Wood and asked for a bigger flag. He provided it, and subsequently became a footnote to history.

As with many war veterans when asked about their moment of "glory," Wood rarely discussed the episode. He did, however, speak to the public quite often. His career included time as a public information officer at Southern California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.