Quicksand Fans

Wiki actually has some good stuff on the subject for a change.

Still the most famous photograph in history. 3 of the men never made it off the Island. Corpsman John Bradley was wounded so badly he required numerous surgeries for years. His son later wrote Flags of our Fathers which, became the basis for the movie by Clint Eastwood.

When I played at studying photojournalism in college we were shown this photo a dozen times. Photographer Joe Rosenthal captured it without even realizing what he'd done until he saw it later. It's often one of those cited as an example of how to take a great photo on instinct without really knowing you've done it. He got it on the fly using a 4x5 Speedgraphic camera with one shot and no automation of any kind. Not even a light meter.

Sec. of the Navy James Forrestal who was batshit crazy was coherent enough to realize that photo meant there would be a Marine Corps for the next "five hundred years".

And that's just the photo. I understand the event itself was something of an accomplishment.