Monroe’s Connection to the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima

The famous picture is legendary. A group of Marines after a hard fought battle for the tiny island of Iwo Jima during World War II, strain to raise an American flag attached to a flagpole on Mt. Suribachi. Did you know, that very flag made an appearance in Monroe?

In early January 1950, the John Wayne movie, “The Sands of Iwo Jima” had it’s run at the Paramount Theater in Monroe. It was a very special event in northeast Louisiana. Hometown hero Major General Graves Blanchard Erskine was coming for the premiere. General Erskine was born and raised in Columbia, LA, attended LSU and enlisted in the Marines During WWI. His accomplishments are too numerous to mention, but one of the things he did was lead the 3rd Marine Division at the Battle of Iwo Jima during WWII.

When General Erskine arrived in Monroe, he brought with him the second flag that was raised in that very famous photo. If you don’t know the story, the original flag was raised on the island’s highest point to let combatants know the island was now under American control. One of the commanders thought the flag was too small to see, so ordered a bigger one to be raised. The Pulitzer Prize winning photo was taken of the second raising. This was the flag that came to Monroe. You can read about the flag raising and photo here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima

The above picture, from the Monroe Morning World of January 8, 1950, shows you how tattered it was/is. Accounts I read online state that is due to the fierce winds on top of the mountain. The flag was displayed in a special case at the Monroe City Hall, guarded by local police, then taken to the Paramount for the premiere. General Erskine then took the flag to Quantico, VA, where it and the first flag are both on display at the Museum of the Marine Corps.

General Erskine is buried in Arlington Cemetery near Washington, DC. You can read about his accomplishments on his Find A Grave memorial here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6846228/graves-blanchard-erskine