Joe Rosenthal

Joe Rosenthal
Rosenthal in 1990
Born	Joseph John Rosenthal (1911-10-09)October 9, 1911 Washington, D.C.
Died	August 20, 2006(2006-08-20) (aged 94) Novato, California
Occupation	Photographer Reporter Honorary Marine
Known for	Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima photograph
Awards	Pulitzer Prize Navy Distinguished Public Service Award

Joseph John Rosenthal (October 9, 1911 – August 20, 2006) was an American photographer who received the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic World War II photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima. His picture became one of the best-known photographs of the war.

Joseph Rosenthal was born on October 9, 1911 in Washington, D.C. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants; he converted to Catholicism during his youth. He had four brothers. His interest in photography started as a hobby during the Great Depression. He graduated from McKinley High School in 1929, and after working as an office boy, he moved to San Francisco where he became a reporter-photographer for the San Francisco News in 1932.

Rosenthal was rejected by the U.S. Army as a photographer because of poor eyesight. In 1941, he attended the University of San Francisco and joined the staff of the Associated Press (AP). In 1943, he joined the United States Maritime Service as a photographer and served as a warrant officer documenting life aboard ship in the British Isles and North Africa. In 1944, he rejoined the Associated Press and followed the United States Army and U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater of Operations as a war correspondant at Hollandia, New Guinea, Guam, Peleliu, Angaur, and Iwo Jima.