World War II Honoree

Meyers Cornelius

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER AS A COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHER. PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE FOR IWO JIMA. ON FEBRUARY 23, 1945, SOME 2 DAYS AFTER THE CAPTURE OF MOUNT SURIBACHI BUT WITH JAPANESE POCKETS OF RESISTANCE REMAINING, HE CRAWLED UP TO SURIBACHI'S SUMMIT. HE WAS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF MARINES POSED AROUND A SMALL AMERICAN FLAG WHEN THE GROUP CAME UNDER GRENADE ATTACK AND SOUGHT COVER. AT THE SIGHT OF THE FIRST FLAG BEING RAISED, BELLS AND WHISTLES FROM THE OFF-SHORE FLEET SOUNDED AND A CHEER ROSE FROM THE MARINES ASHORE. AS HE WAS MAKING HIS WAY DOWN THE HILL, HE MET ANOTHER GROUP OF PHOTOGRAPHERS MOVING TO THE TOP. HE SUGGESTED TO ONE OF THE MARINE PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE GROUP THAT THEY GET SOME MOVIES OF A LARGER SECOND FLAG THAT WAS TO BE RAISED. IN THAT GROUP WAS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER WHOSE PICTURE OF THE SECOND FLAG RAISING WAS TO BECOME WORLD FAMOUS.