</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Jim68134 @ Mar 20 2003, 07:24 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> The most famous is the Mt. Sarubuchi raising of the flag which was actually a recreation of of the actual event with a much bigger American flag.
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There have been many stories about the flag raising captured in this picture and I&#39;m not sure that we&#39;ll ever know for sure which is correct. The one I&#39;ve chosen to believe is as follows.

The first flag raised was a small flag. The Marine General in charge of the landing saw it there but said it was, "Too damn small, get a bigger flag up there."

Like any good marines, the saluted and found a large flag on one of the ships and had it brought to shore. The flag was then carried up to the summit through enemy fire (the mountain wasn&#39;t completely secured at the time), the smaller flag taken down, and the new one raised.

So, it wasn&#39;t a real recreation, it was the replacement of the original flag with a larger one.

It may not be the truth, but it is the story I like best.