What is the story behind the extra hand on the Iwo Jima memorial?

Answer 1

From an interview published in The Washington Post of U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant Thomas W. Miller Jr., who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima, and in his booklet, this myth is proved to be incorrect.

The entire article can be read at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45559-2005Feb22.html.

"I thought maybe I had missed something, so I started researching it," Tom said.

He found that the rumor had been bouncing around for years, spread on the internet and among amateur tour guides. He decided to do a little booklet debunking it, along with all the other myths and misconceptions that had grown about the battle, the flag-raising and the monument.

He read accounts of the flag-raising. He spoke with sculptor de Weldon about the myth. ("He threw his hands up," Tom said. "He said, 'Thirteen hands. Who needed 13 hands? Twelve were enough.' ")

"I thought it would be two or three pages," Tom said of his booklet. "The Iwo Jima Memorial & the Myth of the 13th Hand" ended up being 20. It's sold at a break-even price of $2.50 at the bookstores at Arlington National Cemetery, the National Archives and elsewhere.

Answer 2

The story behind the hand is that it is Jesus's hand helping them raise the flag. It shows that we don't fight or win alone.

Answer 3

12