Iwo Jima Vets Slam Time Cover, Dismiss Global Warming As "A Joke"

Iwo Jima veterans are outraged over Time magazine's decision to use the iconic World War II image of American soldiers hoisting a flag at Iwo Jima for the latest cover on "the war on global warming." The Business & Media Institute reports Iwo Jima veterans call the Time cover a "disgrace" and dismiss global warming as a "joke":

Donald Mates, an Iwo Jima veteran, told the Business & Media Institute on April 17 that using that photograph for that cause was a "disgrace."

"It's an absolute disgrace," Mates said. "Whoever did it is going to hell. That's a mortal sin. God forbid he runs into a Marine that was an Iwo Jima survivor."

Mates also said making the comparison of World War II to global warming was erroneous and disrespectful.

"The second world war we knew was there," Mates said. "There's a big discussion. Some say there is global warming, some say there isn't. And to stick a tree in place of a flag on the Iwo Jima picture is just sacrilegious."

Another Iwo Jima veteran echoes Mates' reservations about global warming being a worth cause for a reprise of the famous scene:

Lt. John Keith Wells, the leader of the platoon that raised the flags on Mt. Suribachi and co-author of "Give Me Fifty Marines Not Afraid to Die: Iwo Jima" wasn't impressed with Time's efforts.

"That global warming is the biggest joke I've ever known," Wells told the Business & Media Institute. "[W]e'll stick a dadgum tree up somebody's rear if they want that and think that's going to cure something."

Time managing editor Rick Stengel defended the cover on MSNBC yesterday, saying:

"One of the things we do in the story is we say there needs to be an effort along the lines of preparing for World War II to combat global warming and climate change. It seems to me that this is an issue that is very popular with the voters, makes a lot of sense to them and a candidate who can actually bundle it up in some grand way and say, 'Look, we need a national and international Manhattan Project to solve this problem and my candidacy involves that.' I don't understand why they don't do that."

Watch:

Comments

[farseer]

The global warming battle has the potential - if we win it - to save more lives that Iwo did. Or, if we lose it, more lives will be lost than if we had lost Iwo. So these vets shouldn't be offended. Anyway, the Iwo photo was staged, in case we forgot.

[wndrwrthg]

And so, once more into the breach. The only photo that was "staged" was the group shot after the flag was raised. The claiments of fraud are long on wind but can offer no facts to back up their claims. 16mm film shot at the same time as the Rosenthal photo offers proof positive that it was not faked. Please be so kind as to offer proof to your false claims, is that so hard.

[Boris]

The first picture, the one you DONT usually see, although Clint Eastwood and the History Channel both have, was taken by the company photographer. It was the 'unit flag' on top of a piece of electrical conduit. My neighbor, whose brother was in the company photograph, died within a week of the photo.
The neighbor and I have speculated what would have happened if his brother were the Indian instead of Ira Hayes. Could he have survived what Hayes hated about being paraded around like a pet Indian?

WWll veterans got what they earned: parades and heroes welcome, free college, low interest housing, respect, free medical care forever.

Yet, they still bitch about everything because... that's what grumpy old men do!!! I have relatives still bitching about the loss of the nickel ice cream cone!

Anyone who actually was in combat in the Pacific Theater deserves all the thanks you can give them. When I hear 'Guadalcanal' and 'Wake Island' I know the guy was a real hero. This photo controversy was only a problem because these two ill informed veterans have a political bone(thrown by a radio guy, I am sure) to pick about global warming. It has nothing to do with the 'sacred' photo.

[marchamlin]

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah.

[isis]

I don't believe in Iwo Jima

[awcbuddy8]

How you can equate global warming to a battle where 30,000 people died is beyond me.

[Garioch]

30,000? You can have a higher death toll from a flood in Bangladesh. Just how many do you think could die as a result of climate change?
As for getting all precious about an image you have more than enough damaged veterans returning to your shores at the moment. Instead of spending your time on here puffing your chests’ out in righteous anger over an image why don't you get off your behinds and do something for them before they end up the same way some of the people in that picture did due to the picture being more important than the people in it.
I could accept spluttering rage over that but over a picture? Pathetic.

[AndrewShuttleworth]

Many, many more than 30,000 people are endangered by the effects of untamed climate change -- water shortages, famine, desertification, rising oceans, poor air quality, disease, etc. World War II was a noble cause fought nobly, but the war on climate change will take an even more universal effort.

[isis]

There is probably a lot that's beyond you my friend. What I am saying is that I have just as much authority to deny their experience as they have to deny the year's of research data by scientists. If they can be an authority on global warming then I can be an authority on Iwo Jima. Or are you sexist or bigoted against me?

[Theron]

P,S, Theron, AND your disrespect for those who sacrificed at Iwo Jima to defend your right to advertise your ignorance and obscene disrespect.

I love the way you morph my comment into somewhow showing disrespect for those who served. You are at the very least dishonest and are probably a scoundrel as well, but have a nice night.

[Jinxykb]

I'm not a big fan of Icon-Worship. We can appreciate our veterans without worshiping a photograph.

[RussSanchez]

Dude didn't you see aholaboxers post? You can't appreciate the veterans unless you are a die hard flag pin wearing Rush loving Reagan/Bush/Cheney worshipping ex-Marine. You have to be totally for invading counties on weak intel before you can be for soldiers at all. Jeeze don’t you know anything about being a patriot?

[RumiSouth]

People like that are the reason this vet refuses to put a stupid yellow ribbon on his (high-mileage) car.

[RussSanchez]

Oops, I spelled countries counties. Not to say we shouldn't invade counties as well.

[ResidentChimp]

Why would one expect Time to have any respect for the military who sacrificed their lives for our Country?

[fantagor]

So photo shopping a tree over a STAGED iconic photo is tantamount to have no respect for the military, basically equal to telling vets to get their education on their own dime, ask for help from friends and family if they can't make ends meet and take pay cuts for combat tours, which is just a sample of the ways the Bush administration has disrespected the troops on issues of substance.

I'm sure that Bush never "blasphemed" a sacred photograph, because symbols for the symbol-minded

Randy

[wndrwrthg]

Listen up child, the photo WAS NOT STAGED! If you are so ignorant of this piece of history and refuse to educate yourself, kindly keep your idiotic comments to yourself.

[Lane]

RC-
Gimme a break!!!!!

They're just grabbing their fifteen minutes of fame. Some people just need to get a life!

[JGatsby]

There was a movie made about the raising of the flag on Iwo a long time ago. As I recall virtually every one of those guys ended up with mental illness, substance abuse, homeless, etc. Another example of how America really treats its war heros. Throw them in the garbage when they are used up but don't dare not wear your flag pin or otherwise mess with one of our sacred symbols. I think its worth pointing out that until the end of WWII the US didn't even have a regular standing peace time army. The founding fathers realized that having a powerful full time military would be too tempting to leaders to meddle as well as sucking up needed resources. Where are Tom Paine and Jefferson when we need them?

[GeoLee]

Well, if we keep abusing our climate, then maybe it will take a bunch of Marines to replant trees that have fallen over. While I certianly admire the men and women in the military during WWII carrying on a war in two disparate settings, I also have read the story about the restaging of the original event in order to get what has become the most famous picture of WWII. The restaged picture tried to recapture that event and this photo is an artistic representation of the next war our world is facing. It is far too sad that so many of that generation refuse to accept this changing world. Apparently with some we are fighting not only the war on global warming, but a similar war on biased ignorance as well. Yes, you all gave us a world to care for, but only after coming home and creating many new items that in fact are polluting the same world you fought so valiantly to preserve, for a time in relative freedom. Thinking ahead rather than 60 years back might be your saving grace.

[Counterglow]

The picture was created by a photographer. It is art. It is his. The veterans, even any who may have actually posed in it, deserve no more say in how it is used than the model in any other photograph, painting or sculpture.

As for their opinion on Global Warming...why would I give it any more credence than I'd give to their opinion about whether Einstein got the Theory of Relativity right?

[wndrwrthg]

No-one posed for this photo. It was not staged. I am astounded at the ignorance exibited by posters on this thread. Indeed, the fact that in this age of instant information they continue in that ignorance is positively frightening.

[andiammisterbones]

And I suppose that Rush Limpballs is a REAL American, huh, Jethro?

[marchamlin]

I am astounded at the ignorance exibited by you. The first flag planting wasn't staged. But they didn't get a photo of that one and the flag was too small so they did it over. The second one was staged. That's not to say it wasn't a special moment. But the second one was staged.

[Counterglow]

Press Outraged Over Staged Flagraising

March 3rd, 1945

IWO JIMA (Reuters) Controversy has erupted among the press corps in the last few days as news has spread that the now-famous picture of the "victorious" flag raising over Iwo Jima a couple weeks ago was staged. Many believe that, as the huge number of casualties mounted in the ill-fated and pointless invasion of this tiny island, the Roosevelt administration, desperate for a bit of pro-war propaganda, arranged to have the photo taken for dissemination to the world's news services.

It has been revealed that the picture was actually of a "recreation" of an earlier flag raising of a much smaller flag, though even that event has now been cast into doubt by the apparent attempt to mislead the press.

There is abundant evidence that the picture was not only unspontaneous, but orchestrated on orders from higher ups.

"None of the men in the picture actually carried the flag to the top," one reporter noted. "It was brought up by a lieutenant in charge, probably at White House orders." In addition, none of the men in the picture had even been injured in the fighting to that point.

[andiammisterbones]

Sorry, buddy, it's as phony as KKKarl Rove's marriage.

[Counterglow]

I'm fully aware that it was staged. It's still a great photograph, and what I said about it applies.

Back in the day, American journalists were adept at using something that may not have been factually true to expose an underlying truth. Now, they're just a bunch of silly little boys writing dirty words on a wall. Examples:

- George Stephanopolous trying to link those stupid flag pins with how patriotic somebody is.

- Cindy McCain's "family" recipes that the campaign stole off somebody's website are supposed to prove what a good old-fashioned down-home family they are.

[CharltonHestonsGUN]

Many Vets are idiots....especially the morons in Iraq that think they are fighting for America......

A few idiots here have stated that if it weren't for the military we would all be speaking German.

Well, we DO speak German, and English and Dutch and French here.

Required starting in second grade.

[awcbuddy8]

What idiots are these? Don't know any? Just something you heard a few uber-liberal posters say and chose to brand it to everyone?

[rwe]

and you are the epitome of the prograssive/atheist/military hating elitist Huffho

[andiammisterbones]

...and you served, where, Jethro?

[ohiomark]

Vets are idiots? Well, PissedOffVietVet, i guess it takes one to know one.

[awcbuddy8]

First of all, they are not making global warming policy, this is their opinion. If it upsets Iwo Jima vets this much then it would not hurt to use a different picture. 29,000 people died on Iwo Jima, how many people have died so far directly and solely from global warming?

[mddragon]

Apparently your brian was the first casualty.

[isis]

Since when is science based on opinion?

[marchamlin]

So every time a vet gets upset about something we are supposed to drop everything just to please them? I respect their service and all, but that image belongs to America.

[swift goat pet for truth]

The Iwo Jima photo is iconic, staged or not.
It has been used as a basis of THOUSANDS of "modifications" to make some point or other.

And NOW these vets are whining about it?

Give me a break.

[andiammisterbones]

Bushy boys got paid, just the same as the Log Cabin GOPer's... a nickel a word.

[SgtCedar]

I wondered what Lt. John Keith Wells qualifications are to speak on the subject of global warming. I checked the author information on his book on Amazon.com. The relevant lines from the writeup is, "After World War II, January 1946, he entered Texas Tech College, Lubbock, Texas, and obtained a degree in Petroleum Geology the summer of 1948. He works in that field today."

He is clearly not a disinterested professional when he says, "... global warming is the biggest joke I've ever known ..."

[SgtCedar]

I am a veteran and feel the cover is in poor taste. However, I have major problems with the statements by some Iwo Jima vets. What qualifies these people to comment on global warming? Are they climatologists? If not or some other type of climate scientist saying global warming is a joke is meaningless.

[sleeperd]

Is AlGore a climatologist? A scientist? Does he know how to spell "scientist"?

[andiammisterbones]

NO, he's not a "scientist," but he's not an inbreed like you, either, Jethro.