Dear Educator:
We are all familiar with the famous photograph of the 1945 flag raising on Iwo Jima, an image that has become
the most reproduced photo in history. What many Americans don’t know is that there were two flag raisings
that day. WCCO-TV is proud to announce the airing of “The Last Flagraiser.” This 30-minute documentary
explores the heroic achievements of Minnesota resident Charles Lindberg. This Charles Lindberg didn’t fly
planes, but played a very important role in the historic events surrounding the now famous flag raising on Iwo
Jima during World War II. All of us at WCCO-TV are excited to share his story and fill in a piece of history
that has been hidden in the shadow of that famous picture.
In honor of Mr. Lindberg and the 60th anniversary of the flag raising on Iwo Jima, we will air “The Last
Flagraiser” February 23, at 6:30 p.m. Produced locally by WCCO-TV’s award winning staff, “The Last
Flagraiser” is an ingenious look at Mr. Lindberg’s heroic involvement in the capture of Mount Suribachi on
Iwo Jima. The film examines how Corporal Charles Lindberg was one of the five men to raise the first
American flag to ever fly over Japanese territory. This inspirational event led to the now famous photo of the
six Marines raising the replacement flag on Iwo Jima, immortalized in the beautifully captured Joe Rosenthal
photograph and memorialized in Washington D.C.
We are pleased to provide you with the attached curriculum for use with your students:
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American Flag Coloring Sheet
Iwo Jima Flag Raising Coloring Sheet
In-class “True and False Quiz” for after the program
Teacher’s Guide to “True and False Quiz”
“Why Do We Raise The Flag?” Short Discussion Worksheet
“Do It Yourself” Activities For The Classroom Worksheet
WCCO-TV also encourages your schools to participate in activities that will be posted online at WCCO.COM.
We believe WCCO.COM will be a great forum for your schools to highlight students’ reaction in relation to the
experience provided through “The Last Flagraiser.”
We invite your classrooms to submit to WCCO-TV their own essays, videotaped flag raising ceremonies, local
war memorial research, flag raising coloring activities and any other great ideas you may come up with for
consideration in being posted online. We hope your schools will have an opportunity to take advantage of this
fun and rewarding exercise.
Sincerely,
Kiki Rosatti
Director of Communications, WCCO-TV
612-330-2563
1. What everybody calls the Iwo Jima flag
raising is really a “replacement” flag raising.
True
False
11. Chuck Lindberg fought in the jungles of the
south Pacific for three years before going to
Iwo Jima.
True
2. The flag raising that caused the excitement
for the troops on Iwo Jima was the first flag
raising in the morning.
True
False
4. On February 19, 1945 the first flag was
raised over Iwo Jima.
True
False
5. Semper Fi means “Always Faithful.”
True
True
False
13. Capturing Iwo Jima would give U.S.
warplanes a direct path to the heart of Japan.
True
False
8. Some Marines were only 14-years-old.
True
False
True
False
True
False
15. By the end of the first day of battle on Iwo
Jima, 2,500 U.S. marines were wounded or
dead.
False
False
16. Chuck Lindberg’s job was to drive a tank.
True
False
17. The job of Chuck Lindberg’s platoon was to
capture Mount Suribachi.
False
18. The pole from the first flag raising was about
20 feet long.
True
10. On December 7, 1941 Germany invaded
America.
True
False
14. The American soldiers were outnumbered by
the Japanese three to one.
True
9. Chuck Lindberg is a veteran of four major
battles in the south Pacific.
True
False
13. Iwo Jima is an island 60 miles long with five
miles of tunnels.
True
7. February 19, 1945 was the day the Marines
landed on Iwo Jima.
True
False
False
6. Only 20,000 Marines went to Iwo Jima.
True
12. Iwo Jima was a Japanese Naval Base.
False
3. The first flag going up on Iwo Jima was very
important historically because it showed
America won World War II.
True
False
False
19. Psychologically, the flag raising didn’t
matter much to the Japanese.
True
False
20. One-third of the Marines who died in WWII
died on Iwo Jima.
True
False
1. What everybody calls the Iwo Jima flag
raising is really a “replacement” flag raising.
True
11. Chuck Lindberg fought in the jungles of the
south Pacific for three years before going to
Iwo Jima.
True
2. The flag raising that caused the excitement
for the troops on Iwo Jima was the first flag
raising in the morning.
True
3. The first flag going up on Iwo Jima was very
important historically because it showed
America won World War II.
False- (It boosted morale.
WWII ended in
September, 1945)
4. On February 19, 1945 the first flag was
raised over Iwo Jima.
False- (Date of flag raising was 2/23/45.)
5. Semper Fi means “Always Faithful.”
True
6. Only 20,000 Marines went to Iwo Jima.
False- (70,000 Marines went to Iwo Jima.)
7. February 19, 1945 was the day the Marines
landed on Iwo Jima.
True
8. Some Marines were only 14-years-old.
True
9. Chuck Lindberg is a veteran of four major
battles in the south Pacific.
True
10. On December 7, 1941 Germany invaded
America.
False- (On 12/7/41 Pearl Harbor was bombed by
Japan.)
12. Iwo Jima was a Japanese Naval Base.
False- (Iwo Jima was a strategic airfield.)
13. Capturing Iwo Jima would give U.S.
warplanes a direct path to the heart of Japan.
True
13. Iwo Jima is an island 60 miles long with five
miles of tunnels.
False- (Iwo Jima is five miles long with 16 miles
of tunnels.)
14. The American soldiers were outnumbered by
the Japanese three to one.
False- (U.S. outnumbered Japan three to one.)
15. By the end of the first day of battle on Iwo
Jima, 2,500 U.S. Marines were wounded or
dead.
True
16. Chuck Lindberg’s job was to drive a tank.
False- (Lindberg was a flame thrower.)
17. The job of Chuck Lindberg’s platoon was to
capture Mount Suribachi.
True
18. The pole from the first flag raising was about
20 feet long.
True
19. Psychologically, the flag raising didn’t
matter much to the Japanese.
False- (It negatively affected Japanese moral.)
20. One-third of the Marines who died in WWII
died on Iwo Jima.
True
“Why Do We Raise The Flag?”
(Discussion questions)
For what holidays should the flag be raised?
When should the flag not be raised or not raised to full height?
Where do we see American flags everyday?
What do each of the stars and stripes represent on the American flag?
“Do It Yourself” (Activities to do in school)
Photograph a war memorial in your community
Memorials don’t exist only in Washington D.C. There are many war memorials throughout America. Visit a war
memorial in your area and take a picture. Have your teacher send your picture to WCCO.COM and it may be put
online.
Raise your own flag
There are procedures and ceremonies centered around raising the American flag. Research how the flag should be folded,
presented and raised. Hold your own ceremony. Video tape your ceremony and have your teacher send it into
WCCO.COM and it may be posted online.