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Jack Thurman

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On February 23rd, 1945, Marines raised the first flag on Mt. Suribachi which stood over the battle for hours. But, of all of the images to come out of World War II, few are as immediately recognizable as the second raising of the U.S. Flag over Iwo Jima. Jack Thurman was just feet away from this significant moment, and he recalls his friend Ira Hayes helping put the flag in place. Part 4 of 4 (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (7:58)

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Jack Thurman was lucky to be trained with the men he served with in Iwo Jima. He recalls one man in particular from Stillwater, MN who he had shared some laughs with, but tragically was lost in the battle while they were hunting Japanese snipers. He describes the multiple burials he received as the land changed hands in the years after the war. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (6:00)

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From training in San Diego to the sands of Iwo Jima, Jack Thurman describes the leaders that led him there and the bravery they showed on the battlefield. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (4:11)

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Outside of Motoyama Airfield 1, the Marines were pinned down by Japanese fire. As the casualties mounted on both sides, nature took its course and Jack Thurman recalls the horrific image of the flies moving between bodies. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (2:36)

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By the time the Marines had landed on Iwo Jima, the Japanese were fortified on the island with a series of bunkers and caves. Jack Thurman describes the devastation caused by advancing on them, and what he’d find when he was lucky enough to get there. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (7:20)

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The battle on Iwo Jima raged on, and 2nd Battalion was trying to overtake the second airfield towards the center of the island. Jack Thurman describes their attempts to push out the entrenched Japanese soldiers, and the sniper nest that stood in their way. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (7:04)

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The Japanese had dug themselves into the island of Iwo Jima with a series of caves which made them difficult to observe, and Japanese aircraft was giving the Americans a tough fight. Jack Thurman describes what he saw overhead on Iwo Jima. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (9:58)

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Jack Thurman describes "The Tombs" surrounding Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. The Japanese used the caves to fortify their positions, but a lot of their men would never end up leaving. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (2:07)

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Getting off Iwo Jima after weeks of combat was a memorable event for Jack Thurman. They had buried their men on the island, and in the distance they could see the crosses as they sailed away. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (8:48)

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They left many of the fallen Marines buried on Iwo Jima, but leaving the Marshall Islands, they performed two more burials at sea to make space on the ship. Jack Thurman remembers these vividly. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (2:24)