(http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1-2-F08)

World War II proved to be life-changing for American society. Not only was the United States personally attacked, inspiring people to defend their country, it also involved the U.S in one of the most tremendous wars. However, in 1945, as the war was coming to a close, the U.S found themselves more in power on a global scale more than ever. The above image was photographed on February 23^rd, 1945 by Joe Rosenthal on top of Mount. Suribachi and symbolized American strength and pride not only in the face of defeat and victory. Right before the first flag was raised, the U.S forces had successfully attained the mountaintop against the Japanese military. This particular image shows the second flag being raised, which occurred after one of the commanding officers found a much larger flag than the one already raised. Unfortunately, three of the men who raised the flag were killed in combat over the next few days. However, the other three soldiers, whom were members of the Navy and Marines, came home safely and soon become heroes once their identities were revealed. This photo ultimately became an inspiration to service members everywhere, due to its attempt to exemplify the sacrifice these soldiers had during this particular battle. In fact, it is one of very few photographs to receive a Pulitzer Prize Award in the same year it was published. This specific image was received from explorePAhistory.com in JPEG format at the size of 600 pixels by 483 pixels, which is about 30,015 bytes or 29.31 KB. Looking at the image, the only defects of the image, such as overexposure and light spots, is due to the camera that was used. Due to the lasting impact of the image, the picture still holds a modern context as a patriotic symbol, especially for me, due to having multiple family members in the military, including my father. This photograph reminds Americans everywhere of the sacrifice, hardships, and perseverance our country has flourished upon and inspires future generations to always strive for freedom.