[-)-MAILMAN-]

My father was given a duplicate set of prints of pictures taken during the invasion. He was a Coast Guard Motor Machinist aboard the LST 764. This LST had embarked parts of a Marine Artillery Division and had two LCVP's. He was part of the LCVP crew and his job was to run the engine. The pictures he has show IWO as little more than moonscape including the area where there is a picture of the original flag that was put on top of Suribachi. My father said that the beaches were black ash and lacked all vegetation as far as the eye can see.

By the way did he take pics ?

No my father did not take the pictures, but a shipmate from his LST 764 was a photographer and took the pictures.

My father had two additional relatives take part in this invasion. His brother, 5 years younger than he, was a USN quartermaster aboard the Destroyer Escort, USS Greenwood. Their first cousin was a crew member of a USN manned LST (never learned the hull number) and also was part of the amphibious force at Iwo. Over the years all three spoke of how the island looked like the surface of the moon from their vantage point prior to the invasion bombardment and looked even worse after the bombardment when the smoke cleared. All three could see the original flag on top of Suribachi and could attest to the fleet's whistles being sounded as it was raised. They took no notice of the second/replacement flag going up that was made famous by Rosenthal's photograph.