Every year, on the third Saturday of May, the US celebrates Armed Forces Day – a tribute to all personnel currently serving across all branches of the nation’s military.
From those in the reserves to those stationed on active duty in regions of the world away from home, the day is dedicated to everyone who wears a US military uniform in some capacity.
While today is not specifically dedicated to soldiers of conflicts past, images captured of US service personnel who risked their lives in wars gone by still embody the struggles and sacrifices that the nation’s current military personnel face and make.
This first image is particularly poignant as it depicts African American soldiers who risked their lives in the trenches of World War I, despite widespread racism back home and within the US military.
We see soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment, famously known as the “Harlem Hellfighters”, returning to New York City aboard the SS Pocahontas in February 1919 following the end of the war.
The men depicted are decorated heroes of the regiment, proudly displaying the Croix de Guerre – a high military honor awarded by the French government for bravery in combat.
These men served under French command because, at the time, the US Army was racially segregated and many white soldiers refused to fight alongside Black troops.
Although valued less than their white comrades by high command, the Harlem Hellfighters became one of the bravest and most respected units of the war, earning a fierce reputation among German forces.
As for the photographer who captured the image, we may never know – their identity was never documented and has since been lost to history.
In this second image, we see the iconic flag-raising at the Battle of Iwo Jima, when six Marines hoisted the US flag atop Mount Suribachi.
Although the moment took place on the fifth day of the battle (which continued for another 31 days), the photo came to symbolize American victory and unity among its fighting men.
By the end of the battle, three of the men who raised the flag had been killed, while the surviving members – two of whom were initially misidentified – later toured the US on a bond drive to support the war effort.
The photographer, Joe Rosenthal, was working for the Associated Press when he captured what has become perhaps the most iconic image of US military personnel ever taken.
After the war, Rosenthal went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for the shot – which appeared on newspaper front pages across the country within weeks of being taken.
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