William Genaust

William H. "Bill" Genaust (1907-March 4, 1945) was a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, a war photographer, who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima, and who is most famous for capturing the Flag Raising on Iwo Jima on color motion picture film with his 16 millimeter camera.cite book| last = Albee| first = Parker Bishop, Jr. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Shadow of Suribachi: Raising the Flags on Iwo Jima| publisher = Praeger Publishers| date = 1995| location = | pages = 48, 58| url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0-275-95063-8]

Background

Around noon on February 23, 1945, Genaust, along with Marine Corps still photographer PFC Bob Campbell and AP photogtrapher Joe Rosenthal, was on the top of Mount Suribachi when it was decided to replace a smaller flag planted on the mountain earlier in the day with a larger one visible from any point on the island. [cite book| last = Albee| first = Parker Bishop, Jr. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Shadow of Suribachi: Raising the Flags on Iwo Jima| publisher = Praeger Publishers| date = 1995| location = | pages = 48, 58| url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0-275-95063-8] Genaust stood near Rosenthal as the larger flag was hoisted by five United States Marines and one Navy corpsman, simultaneous with the lowering of the smaller flag.

Genaust's film briefly captures the men getting in place to raise the flag, the raising and securing of the flag, and a group shot of the entire platoon posing under the flag. Similar still photographs were taken by Rosenthal and Campbell during this action. [cite book| last = Albee| first = Parker Bishop, Jr. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Shadow of Suribachi: Raising the Flags on Iwo Jima| publisher = Praeger Publishers| date = 1995| location = | pages = 61-65| url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0-275-95063-8]

Genaust's film also captures Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier as he supervises the flag changing ceremony and gazes up at the larger flag. Schrier is not visible in Rosenthal's famous photograph.

Fate

Sergeant Genaust was killed later in the battle when he entered a darkened cave and was shot to death by Japanese soldiers. The cave mouth was covered over by bulldozing equipment, and his body has never been recovered. [cite book| last = Albee| first = Parker Bishop, Jr. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Shadow of Suribachi: Raising the Flags on Iwo Jima| publisher = Praeger Publishers| date = 1995| location = | pages = 70| url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0-275-95063-8] [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286873,00.html]

References