- Charles W. Lindberg
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Charles W. Lindberg Born June 26, 1920
Grand Forks, North DakotaDied June 24, 2007 (aged 86) Buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery Allegiance United States of America Service/branch United States Marine Corps Rank Corporal Unit 2nd Battalion 28th Marines Battles/wars - Battle of Guadalcanal
- Battle of Bougainville
- Battle of Iwo Jima
Awards Silver Star
Purple HeartCharles W. "Chuck" Lindberg (June 26, 1920 - June 24, 2007) was a United States Marine who was part of the first raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. He was the last undisputed surviving member of the two flag raisings.[1]
Contents
Before Iwo Jima
A native of Grand Forks, North Dakota, Chuck Lindberg enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Shortly after joining the Marine Corps, Lindberg volunteered for the Marine Raiders, an elite special operations group. While a member of the 2nd Raider Battalion, Lindberg first saw combat during the "Long Patrol" on Guadalcanal. Lindberg and the 2nd Raiders also saw combat during the Bougainville Campaign. After Bougainville, Lindberg returned to the States and was assigned to the new 5th Marine Division.
Iwo Jima
Chuck Lindberg, now a flamethrower operator, and his fellow Marines of 3rd Platoon, Easy Company, 28th Regiment landed with the fifth wave on the beaches of Iwo Jima. Lindberg earned the Silver Star two days later when he participated in a major assault against enemy fortifications and blockhouses at the base of Mount Suribachi.
Raising the first flag
Lowery's most widely circulated picture of the first flag raising. This picture is usually captioned as: 1st Lt. Harold G. Schrier with Platoon Sergeant Ernest I. Thomas, Jr. (both seated), PFC James Michels (in foreground with carbine), Sergeant Henry O. Hansen (standing, wearing soft cap), Corporal Charles W. Lindberg (standing, extreme right), on Mount Suribachi at the first flag raising. However, PFC Raymond Jacobs disputed these identifications,[2] and asserted that it should be: Pfc James Robeson (lower left corner; not visible in this cropped version of the photo), Lt. Harold Schrier (sitting behind his legs), Pfc Raymond Jacobs (carrying radio), Sgt. Henry Hansen (cloth cap), unknown (lower hand on pole), Sgt Ernest Thomas (back to camera), Phm2c John Bradley (helmet above Thomas), Pfc James Michels (with carbine), and Cpl Charles Lindberg (above Michels).
The famous photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal actually captured the second flag-raising event of the day. A U.S. flag was first raised atop Suribachi soon after it was captured early in the morning (around 10:20) of February 23, 1945. Captain Dave E. Severance, the commander of Easy Company (2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division), ordered First Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier to take a patrol to raise an American flag at the summit to signal to others that it had fallen. After a fire-fight, a 54-by-28 inch (137-by-71 cm) flag was raised, and photographed by Staff Sergeant Louis R. Lowery, a photographer with Leatherneck magazine.[3][4][5] Others present at this first flag raising included Corporal Charles W. Lindberg, Platoon Sergeant Ernest I. Thomas Jr., Sergeant Henry O. "Hank" Hansen, and Private First Class James Michels.[6] However, this flag was too small to be seen easily from the nearby landing beaches, and the second, larger, flag was raised four hours later simultaneous with the lowering of the first flag. It was the photograph of this second flag being raised that was seen around the world. Lindberg also stated that his battalion commander, Colonel Chandler E. Johnson, ordered the first flag replaced and safeguarded because he was worried someone would take it as a souvenir.
Post-war and later life
After being shot in the arm by a Japanese sniper on March 1, 1945, Corporal Lindberg was evacuated from the island to recuperate. When he was honorably discharged in 1946, Lindberg returned home to Grand Forks, North Dakota, married, moved to Richfield, Minnesota, raised two daughters and three sons, and worked as an electrician for 39 years.
Proud of his military service, he often spoke of his role in the first flag raising, only to have his account called into question, until the facts became known to the general public. Later in life, he often spoke at schools, sharing his memories of his wartime service with the children. He returned to Iwo Jima in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the battle.
In a tribute to Lindberg, KARE TV ran the following report:
- At Fort Snelling, Friday, June 29th, 2007 the nation bid farewell to a true World War II hero. Marine Chuck Lindberg was laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
- The thundering jet fighters and some vintage WWII planes flew overhead to pay tribute. And it was well deserved.
- Lindberg was the last survivor of the first flag-raising on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi. But his moment was overshadowed by a second flag-raising. He spent a lifetime correcting the record.
- Still, on this Friday at Fort Snelling, there was no doubt about history's record.
- During the ceremony one of Lindberg's daughters, Diane Steiger said, "The angels needn't worry tonight, another Marine has arrived. Our hero has gone home, the heavens are safer tonight."[7]
Portrayal in films
In the 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers, Lindberg was played by Alessandro Mastrobuono. Lindberg is the only character to appear in both Flags and its companion film, Letters from Iwo Jima, although in Letters he is uncredited and simply seen in the same shot of both films, rushing towards a bunker with a flamethrower.
See also
References
- ^ Chicago Tribune, "Iwo Jima Flag Raiser Lindberg Dies at 86", June 25 2007
- ^ "America's Greatest Generation: Marine Heroes: Raymond Jacobs". World War II Stories — In Their Own Words. October 3, 2006. http://carol_fus.tripod.com/marines_hero_ray_jacobs.html. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
- ^ Closing In: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima, by Colonel Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Retired), 1994, from the National Park Service.
- ^ Picture of the first flag raising
- ^ Image of the first flag being lowered as the second flag is raised, Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 112718.
- ^ Bradley, James. Flags of Our Fathers, p. 205.
- ^ Farewell to a Hero
Web
Categories:- 1920 births
- 2007 deaths
- American military personnel of World War II
- United States Marines
- People from Grand Forks, North Dakota
- American people of Swedish descent
- Battle of Iwo Jima
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