ib achi ▁and ▁raised ▁the ▁first ▁ ▁U . S . ▁flag ▁on ▁I wo ▁J ima ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁He ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁six ▁Mar ines ▁who ▁raised ▁the ▁larger ▁replacement ▁flag ▁on ▁the ▁mount aint op ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁as ▁shown ▁in ▁the ▁icon ic ▁photograph ▁R ais ing ▁the ▁Flag ▁on ▁I wo ▁J ima . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁flag ▁flow n ▁over ▁Mount ▁Sur ib achi ▁at ▁the ▁south ▁end ▁of ▁I wo ▁J ima ▁was ▁regarded ▁to ▁be ▁too ▁small ▁to ▁be ▁seen ▁by ▁the ▁thousands ▁of ▁Mar ines ▁fighting ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁mountain , ▁so ▁it ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁second ▁one . ▁Although ▁there ▁were ▁photograph s ▁taken ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁flag ▁flying ▁on ▁Mount ▁Sur ib achi ▁including ▁some ▁of ▁Sch ult z , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁photograph ▁of ▁Mar ines ▁raising ▁the ▁first ▁flag . ▁The ▁second ▁flag - ra ising ▁became ▁famous ▁and ▁took ▁preced ence ▁over ▁the ▁first ▁flag - ra ising ▁after ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁flag - ra ising ▁photograph ▁appeared ▁in ▁newsp apers ▁two ▁days ▁later . ▁The ▁second ▁flag - ra ising ▁was ▁also ▁fil med ▁in ▁color . ▁ ▁Sch ult z ▁was ▁not ▁recognized ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁flag - rais ers ▁until ▁the ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁announced ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁after ▁an ▁investigation , ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁historic ▁photograph ▁which ▁was