Eastwood On 'Flags Of Our Fathers'

Director Discusses New Film About Iwo Jima In Exclusive Interview With Bill Whitaker

(CBS)  One of the most famous images captured during World War II is a photo of a group of five Marines and one Navy corpsman planting the United States flag on Iwo Jima's Mt. Suribachi.

"It was the biggest battle in Marine Corps history, the most loss of life of any Marine campaign," director Clint Eastwood tells CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker in an exclusive interview.

Eastwood's new movie, "Flags of our Fathers," based on the book of the same title, is the true story of how one image electrified the nation.

It turned the flag raisers into instant heroes. The government used the heroic pose to raise money at a critical point in the war, never publicizing that this wasn't exactly what it seemed.

The Iwo Jima battle was a bloody, inch-by-inch battle to take the volcanic island, which had airstrips that were crucial to the planned U.S. invasion of Japan. With the Japanese hiding in miles of underground tunnels, Marines said Iwo Jima was like hell.

John Huffhines was with the 5th Marine division at the time.

"You never get over it. It’s always with you," Huffhines says.

It was on the fifth day of the invasion that the Marines took the high ground and planted a flag on Mt. Suribachi. The first flag is the one the Marines remember, they said at a recent reunion.

"The fighting stopped when the flag went up... It was quiet. Everybody stood up and cheered," Bob Day says.

Raymond Jacobs helped raise the first flag. He said an officer wanted it as a souvenir and ordered a bigger one to replace it. The raising of the second flag happened so quickly, the Marines thought it was nothing special. But it was.

"We often said that the first flag raising was for the Marines on the island on combat, whereas the second flag raising was for the American people back home," Jacobs says.

The battle for Iwo Jima raged for another month. Three of the men in the famous picture lost their lives there. One of them, Sgt. Mike Strank, was fighting next to Ralph Griffiths.

"A shell dropped in front of him. It took Sgt. Strank’s heart and chest right out. Killed him, wounded me," Griffiths says.

As for the three flag raisers who survived the island, the pain of war would follow them until the end of their lives.

"I think they were all heroes," Eastwood says.

Eastwood says he's finishing a second movie on Iwo Jima, this one from the Japanese perspective. He wants the American audience to walk away from that movie thinking that "they are the good guys."

But by the same token, Eastwood wants Americans to know "that the price is pretty heavy and that the price is something the military people are always ready to stand by and pay ... and (the) American people should be appreciative of that."

[hugh_ct]

I guess someone at CBS News actually reads the comments as they've changed the story to accurately say "five Marines and one Navy corpsman" instead of the previous "Six Marines". Now if they would just give Joe Rosenthal credit for the photo instead of "AP File"

[rjg727]

I read the other comments and they were "right on" about your short-comings, do a story right the first time, not the fluff version!

Richard J. Garfunkel

[rjg727]

I watched your vignette with Clint Eastwood, and the Battle of Iwo Jima, the other night and found it wanting. You did a promo for his film, but failed to mention who took the famous photo (Joe Rosenthal) and why was it a story. You didn't mention the flag-raisers. You didn't mention that the flag-raising was really the beginning of the battle and you failed to mention that the Marines had more casualities than the defending Japanese Army. This was the only time that happened in the Pacific War. You didn't mention any of the other photographers, both Marine and news service employees. In other words your story lacked depth and reason. Personally I watch NBC as a habit, and tuned in your broadcast rather than watch another commercial for a laxative or ED, but most network news is the same; shallow,entertainment, and having the affect of a cheap Chinese meal; good for the moment and you know the rest. Let's see more substance and less fluff. We watch Lou Dobbs up to the Evening News, and after your 30 minutes Harbball. We could easily breeze by Williams or your 30 minutes in a heartbeat.
Since the networks still have the lion's share of the audience, I would hope that you spent a bit more time following up on stories that truly affect our lives.

Richard J. Garfunkel
Tarrytown, NY

[lsiskind]

Extremely UNIMPRESSED that CBS would forget to include the name of the photographer in a story that was all about icon images.

Lisa Siskind

[clestes-2009]

It was not 6 Marines! It was 5 marines and 1 Navy core man. There were other branches of the military on Iwo Jima too.

[wilzzo]

What a powerfull story. The book was magnificient! The movie should be great and a must see for all who love and respect OUR HEROES in uniform, whatever the branch. Semper Fi to all my Marine brothers and sisters! And godbless to all soldiers, sailors and airmen stationed all over the globe. Cpl R. J. Wilson MarDet USS Ranger CV-61 90-94!!!!!

[janemcgreeve]

How many of you, if you haven't read this poignant, inspiring book realize that half of the Flag-raisers never got off Iwo alive?

[mywwlldad]

My dad fought with the marines on Iwo Jima. He will be 81 on 3/2007. He received a Purple Heart. What a story, I believe he ended up in a "fox hole" with a broken neck for several days. This movie will probably make me sad and proud. When my dad talks about war, everyone listens.

[kerimparrot]

"in December 2005, the founders agreed to sell the studio to Viacom". The owner of CBS.
This was never mentioned in the story. Is someone hiding or is it another ad disguised as a news story?

[pobereskin]

How can you do a story on that picture and not mention Joe Rosenthal's name. Isn't the photographer of any importance?

Joe Pobereskin
President, New Jersey Chapter
American Society of Media Photographers

[burns0303]

Bill Whitaker....Honestly, how can you report this story and make a ROOKIE mistake in saying it was 6 Marines vice 5 Marines and 1 Navy Corpsman, you even had a photo of John Bradley in his Navy uniform in your segment. It's not hard to put the pieces together between John and James Bradley.....
R/
An active Duty Marine Corps Infantry Officer

[kunklecm]

When I was is sixth grade, I read the book "Flags of our Fathers" for an assignment. We had to write a letter to the author. He hand wrote me back a letter and it was very sincere. I am glad that they're making a movie about the book. It was a very touching story. Especially from the point of veiw of a son of one of the flag raisers. It is a story that deserves some recognition, but be sure to read the book before you see the movie!!!

[denconphoto]

Photographers are forgetable, but their photographs aren't. I guess that the lesson in tonight's CBS News story about Clint Eastwood's new film about the events surrounding the "the single most famous image captured during World War II" of the Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima.
How soon you forget photographer Joe Rosenthal, who died in August at the age of 94. Not once in the broadcast was Joe Rosenthal's name mentioned. So much for creating an image that "electrified the nation."
BAD Katie Couric!! BAD CBS!!

[flierbaby]

In response to the comment of poor reporting, I think what Americans will find out from this movie (if Eastwood follows the book) is how much the public was misled by reporters and the government about this whole episode, there was so much bad reporting. Also, the general public will realize how these men were 'used' to raise the much needed funds to finish the campaign in the Pacific. And the key word is "finish" - even though the cost was ungodly in amount of human life, they finished the job that needed to be done and the Japanese were stopped in their attempt at domination. I am not sure our present culture can even fathom the pride and determination these marines and sailors embodied to keep on moving forward, inch by inch.

[hugh_ct]

Is it too much to ask reporters and editors to do a little basic research?
The report speaks of the Six Marines that raised the second flag, but totally leave out the fact that it was actually five Marines and one Sailor, John Bradley, a Navy Corpsman that took part.
Leaving out that fact is simply poor reporting, given that John Bradley's son James wrote the Book "Flags of Our Fathers" that inspired the Eastwood Movie.

[flierbaby]

After 2 years of questioning my dad as a transport pilot in the Pacific theatre, I put together a booklet of his time overseas for his 85th birthday. As I was leaving his house I picked up the book "Flags of Our Fathers" and after finishing it I had to call Dad and confess "I never knew what you guys really went through, can we add another layer to your story?" He seems eager to tell me more. These men are truly, the greatest generation that ever lived and I hope and pray that Clint does better than "make Americans 'appreciative', that just doesn't seem to be enough. We should kiss the ground they walk upon, because of what they did, we have a free country.

[tarquinius2]

I'm really looking forward to this movie.

I've heard they also made a version in Japanese that tells the story from the other side. I hope that one is released in the US too.

[trailboss49]

If Eastwood's movie can be as good as the book then it will be classic. It's about time that proper tribute was paid to those who are serving, and have served, in our military for the sacrifices they have made and to remember the loss of their friends, the heroes who did not come home to family or friends.