Bill Genaust
William Homer "Bill" Genaust (1907 – March 4, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps staff sergeant who served as a war photographer in World War II, first in the battle of Saipan, then the battle of Iwo Jima, where he was killed in action. He is most known for filming the second American Flag Raising on top of Mount Suribachi (Iwo Jima), on February 23, 1945, using a then modern and lightweight 16 millimeter motion picture camera which used 50-foot color film cassettes.[1][2]
Contents
U.S. Marine Corps
World War II
Genaust enlisted in the Marine Corps on February 11, 1943 to be a combat cameraman. After recruit training, he was sent to Quantico, Virginia to become a Marine Corps still photographer and motion picture camera photographer.
Battle of Saipan
Genaust served in the Pacific Theater during World War II and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" (and Purple Heart Medal) in September 1945 for heroic actions using a rifle in a firefight on Saipan on July 9, 1944. He was recommended for the Navy Cross by Norman Hatch, his photo section commander, but the nomination was turned down because Genaust was a cameraman and not an infantryman.[2] A Presidential Unit Citation (June 15 to July 24, 1944) was also awarded for Saipan (and Navy Unit Commendation was awarded to him for Iwo Jima). It took 8 months for Genaust to recover from his leg wound he obtained on Saipan. He was given the offer to go back home, but instead volunteered to go to Iwo Jima.[2]
Battle of Iwo Jima
Now a staff sergeant, Genaust was next assigned to help train Marine photographers on how to film in a combat zone.[2] Then, three Marine divisions in a force of approximately 70,000 servicemen which include about 60 Marine Cameramen and Genaust are about to assault Iwo Jima. Genaust would accompany the Marine infantrymen riding in on landing craft. On February 19, filming on the way in, he lands on the beach with members of the 4th Marine Division.[2] On the third day, he heads closer in towards Mount Suribachi and is teamed with Marine still photographer Pfc. Bob Campbell and proceeds to take more film action at the base of Suribachi.[2]
Flag raisings
On February 23, 1945, a 40-man patrol consisting primarily of members of Third Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division was ordered to climb up Mount Suribachi. The patrol was led by E Company's executive officer, First Lieutenant Harold Schrier who had taken over the platoon and volunteered for the mission to siege and occupy the crest of Mount Suribachi and raise a small American flag to signal the volcano was captured. The flag attached to an iron water pipe was raised about 10:30 a.m. Marine photographer SSgt. Lou Lowery accompanied the patrol and photoed the Marines and navy corpsmen climbing to top of Mount Suribachi and photoed the men around the flagstaff after it was raised.
Around noon, Marine photographers Genaust and Campbell are ordered up Mount Suribachi.[2] On the way up, they meet Associated Press (AP) photographer Joe Rosenthal who had also landed with the 4th Division but missed the first flag raising on top.[2] The three photographers proceed to climb up Mount Suribachi as a 4-man team of Marines from Second Platoon also climb up with orders to raise a large replacement flag on top. The first flag is to be replaced by the second flag attached unto another iron pipe which would make the flag visible from any point on the island.[1] On the way up, Genaust and Campbell meet Lowery who tells them about the first flag raising. After they arrived on top, Genaust with his motion picture camera stood at the left side of Rosenthal and filmed the second flagstaff being hoisted by the four Marines, a Marine runner (messenger) who also climbed up the mountain with the flag, and a Navy corpsman(PhM2c. Bradley's identification is currently is being investigated by the Marine Corps),[3]) who was already on top with the previous patrol.
Under Schrier's direction, the larger flag was raised as the smaller flag was lowered.[1] Genaust's film captures the six infantrymen getting in place to raise the larger flag, the raising of the flagstaff by the six men, and the securing of the bottom of the flagstaff with rocks.[2] Rosenthal became famous for taking the black and white photograph of the replacement flag raising which led to the creation of the Marine Corps War Memorial in 1954. Similar still photographs were also taken on top of Mount Suribachi by Campbell and other photographers including a U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard photographer.[4] Genaust's film also captures other Marines on the summit as they gaze up during the second flag raising.[2] These Marines are not visible in Rosenthal's famous photograph.
Death
Genaust and possibly another Marine were killed on March 4, 1945 by enemy small arms fire after they entered a cave on Hill 362A located on the northwest corner of Iwo Jima. Genaust volunteered to go in the cave, and more likely used his flashlight instead of his camera light inside the cave. After he was killed, the cave entrance was covered over by bulldozing equipment, and despite renewed search efforts in 2007, his and the other Marine's body have never been recovered.[2][5][6] Genaust is among 250 listed missing on Iwo Jima although most of those Americans were lost at sea.
Military awards
Genaust's military decorations and awards include:
.png){kind=small}
Certificate of Appreciation
Genaust received a posthumous Certificate of Appreciation from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Paul X. Kelley on 26 April 1984.
Sergeant Genaust Award
The Sergeant William Genaust Award is presented each year by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, one of a series of awards to both Marines and civilian community members recognizing their work in advancing and preserving Marine Corps history. It is given for a documentary and short subject (15 minutes or less) dealing creatively with U.S. Marine Corps heritage or Marine Corps life.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 You Tube, Smithsonian Channel, 2008 Documentary (Genaust films) "Shooting Iwo Jima" [1] Retrieved July 5, 2015
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Combat Action Ribbon (1969): Retroactive from December 7, 1941: Public Law 106-65, October 5, 1999, 113 STAT 508, Sec. 564
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Genaust. |
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
