Inside story of famous World War II photo on 70th anniversary

The iconic flag-raising picture from Iwo Jima that inspired so many Americans was taken 70 years ago today in 1945 on the Japanese island.  The photo, which was taken by Joe Rosenthal, is often credited with turning the war effort around.

The photo, which looks staged, shows five Marines and one Navy sailor who converged on the summit of a mountain to raise a U.S. flag.  It is often thought of as one of the most perfectly composed news photos of all time.

The photo was actually a second raising of a larger flag, after a smaller one had been put up first.  Rosenthal wasn't at the top of the mountain for the first one, but got there as the second one was put up to be more visible to troops fighting below.  The photo also inspired a sculpture that is set at the U.S. Marine war memorial in Arlington, VA.

CNN.com story