Americanism on a Japanese island

Eighty years ago, on Feb. 23, 1945, the free world was inspired by a photograph of six Marines raising a U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the battle of Iwo Jima. The moment, captured by Joe Rosenthal of The Associated Press, has been reproduced many times—most poignantly as the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial at Arlington, Va.
The act itself was not as important as what it would later mean. The Pulitzer-winning picture fully conveys the bravery and determination of U.S. warfighters, a symbol for all, and all times. Thousands of Americans were dying in the Pacific at that moment. Thousands more had just fought their way through Europe’s deadly Battle of the Bulge. People can argue which battles and wars were most significant in history, but The American Legion’s pledge to “preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in all wars” is not a matter of debate. All who wore the uniform swore an oath to die for this country if called upon. Many did. Politicians and generals determine the circumstances and utility of individual battles, not those who do the actual fighting.
On Dec. 7, I attended Pearl Harbor observances on Oahu.
I plan to attend D-Day anniversary ceremonies in Normandy June 6. But the reality is that there were far more battles, firefights and armed conflicts in our history than there are days on the calendar. From the U.S.-led Meuse-Argonne Offensive in November 1918 that forged an armistice in World War I to the swift U.S. capture of Baghdad in April 2003, each battle holds a place of significance. Some, like Iwo Jima, Normandy and Pearl Harbor, symbolize something more, in honor of all, wherever and whenever the fighting occurred.
Legionnaires like to say, “Every day is Veterans Day.” Every day is also the anniversary of some moment in U.S. history when combat sacrifice was necessary to protect our way of life or to liberate others. The ultimate symbol of it all, as we recognize February as Americanism Month, is that flag of ours, so immortally portrayed by a wire-service photographer on a tiny, war-torn island far away, where hell was replaced with hope. Somewhere in that picture, that moment, resides the soul of Americanism.
—James A. LaCoursiere, Jr., was elected National Commander of The American Legion Aug. 29, 2024, in New Orleans, during the 105th National Convention. An Air Force veteran, LaCoursiere has been a longtime field representative for the American Legion Department of Connecticut’s Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Fund, which financially assists veterans and their families in need. This editorial was printed with the permission of The American Legion Magazine.