Louis R. Lowery
| Louis R. Lowery | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Lou |
| Born | July 24, 1916 |
| Died | April 15, 1987 (aged 70) |
| Place of burial | Quantico National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa |
| Awards |
Purple Heart Medal (2) Combat Action Ribbon |
| Other work |
Leatherneck Magazine United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association |
Louis R. "Lou" Lowery (July 24, 1916 – April 15, 1987) was a United States Marine Corps captain. He was the only Marine Corps combat photographer to cover six major campaigns during World War II. He is best known for taking the first photographs of the first American flag that was raised on top of Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima on the morning of February 23, 1945.
Lowery was the founder and former president of the United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association (USMCCCA). He also was a photographic director of Leatherneck Magazine, a publication of the Marine Corps. He died on April 15, 1987 at age 70 from aplastic anemia and is buried in Quantico National Cemetery in Prince William County, Virginia near the Marine Corps War Memorial. In 2006, Lowery was portrayed by actor David Hornsby in film Flags of Our Fathers.
On February 23, 1945, Lowery then a staff sergeant, accompanied the 40-man combat patrol which included two Navy corpsmen, that climbed Mount Suribachi to seize and occupy the crest, and raise the Second Battalion's U.S. flag if possible to signal that it was captured. The patrol led by First Lieutenant Harold Schrier, captured and secured the mountaintop and raised the flag attached to a Japanese steel water pipe approximately 10:30 A.M. Immediately after the flag was raised, a short firefight took place after Japanese soldiers came out of a cave. An enemy grenade was tossed, and Lowery fell with his camera several feet down the side of the crater from the blast. Though Lowery was unhurt, his camera was damaged but the film was intact.
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