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

[beatnik]

Listen, I appreciate their service, but give me a break. My grandfather was afraid of black people, I loved the guy DESPITE that, just as I appreciate these men DESPITE their bad judgment on this issue. Simply put, they are WRONG on global warming, WRONG that this in any way disparages their service, and WRONG to bring their own personal religious beliefs into the matter.

We all know that in America, the older you get the more likely it is that you lean Republican, so it's no shock that these men would be "outraged" by this. So let's just nod our heads, pat them on the back and tell them "you're right old man" and then go on doing what we were doing, just like we do with our own grandpa's.

[feo]

Be easy on the "older you get" stuff. I'm an old guy and I hate Retardlicans; they've done more damage to this country than Nazis, commies, the Japanese Empire and Al-Queda combined.

[alohaboxer]

Yeah, that Woodstock thing, followed by acid, cocaine, marijuana, crack, heroine...that has been great! How about the explosion of casual sex, STD's and teen pregnancies. Those wonderul folks are all parents now and, in their quest to be the "Cool mom or Dad," their children grew up to slam authority, to take sex lightly, take drug abuse lightly, and to slam anyone with a hint of morals.

Is it any shock that the kids on this website speak wtih such distain for authority? Mock everything? Give me a break. One even uses the term Beatnik as the screen name.

They had pot and some really good bands, but they screwed it up for many of us.

[helonias]

Old men living in the past, not giving a damn about the world their grandkids will have to deal with.

[teembee]

Yeah, the greatest generation didnt give a hoot about generations to follow. They fought that forsaken war because it was so much fun.

[carlgt1]

so old heros know all about the science behind global warming? didn't think so! America's greatest generation of greedy crybabies who don't care about their grandkids & great grandkids!

[DavePM]

Yeah. So does everyone in the blogosphere.

[Joeseo]

Its just what you would expect from a Corporate giant. TIME has followed the spirit of the Cheney/Bush order to our marines in Iraq NOT to show the flag. Even that Marine who did so was punished. We live in a different America now under Corporate dictates crafted by cowards and draft dodgers.

[Beachrunner]

As well they should.

[1differentdrummer]

Time's publishers' taste is in their mouth.

[DavePM]

How many trees were used in the production of this "special environment issue"?

[memoryaid]

Trees are "renewable resources", actually, so as long as you pay the full price of re-forestation, and offset the processing CO2 emissions, you can actually be "carbon neutral".

Of course, that's why nobody wants to deal with global warming: once you accept it as fact, you HAVE to start paying for the pollution, otherwise you're basically just offsetting that cost to you kids and grandkids. And that ain't cool.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

WWII's over boys, move on, get over yourselves and stop making fools of yourselves.

[memoryaid]

you can't "get over" being in a war, dude. but the Government should stop lying to the people about Global Warming.

The US is the only country where there's been any debate about it for last 15 year. Everybody else accepts it as fact. Americans, get with the times!

[isis]

Other countries also have accepted the 160 year old theory of evolution and have moved on. I wish I knew what was the problem with the US, but alas, I no doubt was raised with those biased Houton Mifflin text books the have infiltrated the schools.

[DavePM]

Have some frakkin' respect. Perhaps you would have been better off if we were all goosestepping, book-burning morons.

[isis]

It looks as if they have become goose steppers/book burners themselves. Maybe Hitler won after all. :(

[Joeblue]

I think we're already close to goose stepping with the current admin dude.

[rwe]

ok, without going into the junk science of Global Warming ....What would the reaction be if Time used a Picture of Dr King with a caption cloud saying "I HAVE A DREAM THAT IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE ALL AMERICANS WILL BE FREE FROM THE HORRORS OF GLOBAL WARMING"

[personalpolitical]

Yeah, except for it isn't junk science, but whatever.

[Pquilson]

Really? Because of a political consensus?
This thread is sickening! Bloggers say they appreciate the service of those Marines on Iwo Jime, then go on to castigate those very same Marines' opinions on anything.
Appreciate the service? I do not think the posters here do. And that is my opinion, which was bought and paid for by all those soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines.

[memoryaid]

That would be great!

It's really sad how many Americans are completely deluded about Global Warming.

You realize there are NO other countries in the world where ANYBODY debates evolution or global warming any more, right?

[Tergenev]

Some of us do realize that. We respect your wisdom. But don't deny that in every culture there are delusional people. It's just that in the US, they've got their own networks and radio shows.

[isis]

That would probably be ok because King would be for justice and all and global warming is not justice. Rich profit (and support the "junkscience" term and web site) and the poor suffer. I do hope that you are getting paid to be their stooge because if not, you are a big sucker.

[CTmom13]

This is Digrace! SHAME ON TIME

[gappedtoothgodwarrior]

Appreciate your sevice boys but that doesn't mean your views on global warming are worth listening to.

Soorry but there it is.

[DavePM]

And that means yours are worth listening to? Opinions are like assholes. Every blogger has one.

[ejay579]

And many an old gent talks out of his.

[gappedtoothgodwarrior]

See what you're doing there is putting up a straw man, I'm not declaring my word to be sacrosanct, but neither is the word of a marine on any given subject simply because they have provided much appreciated service to the country.

Do try to keep up, there's a love ;)

[Hollywoodaholic]

It's a great cover but they didn't need to use the archive photo of Marines to achieve it. They could have posed some suits or civilian models in the same position to get the same effect.

[CountryBeforeParty]

I could agree with that one.

Still we shouldn't be getting worked up over this. Isn't there a flag pin or someone's pastor we should be getting mad at because, as you know, that's the driving issue in America now.

[wolfgangmo]

Of course they could have, but then again that photo WAS staged and never actually happened spontaneously.

No disrespect to the soldiers who lived through either end of that meat grinder, but get over yourselves.

Oh, and boys, if you want controversy ... how about this. Global warming is not more a debate/controversy than your service is. If you disbelieve it then fine, but not more than I think that you probably spent most of your time gibbering like a baby and pissing yourself whenever anyone discharged a weapon during your service.

See, anyone can make any shit up they want. Doesn't make it true. The science and evidence behind the theory of global warming is compelling and the "science and evidence" behind the deniers is laughable at best even if one ignores the fact that most of the deniers get funding from big oil companies or their proxies.

[sonofsamphm1c]

"Of course they could have, but then again that photo WAS staged and never actually happened spontaneously. ..."

Joe Rosenthal's photograph was not staged. He photographed the replacement of the flag Lt. Wells' platoon had raised earlier that morning as the result of the success of their combat operation. The 2nd flag was raised to prevent the first flag from falling into the hands of the Navy brass. Col. Chandler Johnson wanted the first flag to remain with the 2nd Battalion. Later in the battle my father witnessed Chandler Johnson's death. He took a direct hit from a mortar round, and there was little left of him to collect.

Rosenthal happened upon the Marines on Mt. Suribachi as they were preparing to raise the 2nd flag, and he snapped a photograph. It was entirely spontaneous. On his way up the volcano, Lowery told him he had the flag shot. Rosenthal continued up anyway, and came upon the replacement event.

[Ramirez]

Good point. That treatment would have stressed the same point plus have been in better taste.

As a bonus that would have been creative, which is a plus in the magazine business.

[thatvisionthing]

I appreciate the concept of the cover, but it's weird too. The men are black and white, like stone statues. The tree is in color, but must be cut without roots. It's dead raising the dead. Poetic I guess. I hope it's not a comment on past present future. I'd rather think that it's saying there's massive new work for unified people now, that instead of being death givers for their country they can be life givers for the world. Go tell it on the mountain.

[iPolitics]

And Vietnam Vet John McCain voted for a war based on lies and wants to stay there for 100 years. Being a veteran isn't a license to have a special voice on everything. Obviously we respect the service. Heroes, yes. Editors or global warming experts, no.

[Ramirez]

Being an Iwo Jima veteran is a license to have a special voice on commercial use of images of Marines at Iwo Jima.

[ejay579]

And a license to pontificate on global warming while they are at it?

[iPolitics]

No it's not. They didn't take the photo. The license comes from the photographer. It's his art. Duh.

[ProfessorDuh]

That's because the Iwo Jima veterans are ignorant and old.

[DavePM]

Too bad you weren't there to take a bullet for our country.

[wolfgangmo]

Dave, let's leave the flag waving to the experts in the RNC.

You have no idea if those guys took a bullet or just shot themselves in the foot while peeing their pants at the thought of storming the beach. I'm not saying they did, but anyone can make up any shit they want.

Fact, those vets are old. Fact, they are likely wrong on global warming. And even if they aren't the costs associated with them being right and doing something versus the costs of them being wrong and doing nothing are too large to ignore.

You really should see a doctor about the jerking knee.

[1differentdrummer]

Don't diss men who had more than their share of courage serving their country in a horrific situation. Should we overlook the hundreds of thousands of lives saved by the Marines taking that awful place so the war could be ended? Never.

[wndrwrthg]

I agree with the vets on the picture, but not on global climate change.

[DavePM]

Agreed. And why do magazines continue to do "special environmental issues" mass published on paper? Is the tree being planted on Mt. Suribachi processed into next year's environmental issue? Make it an all online issue sent in a mass email.