Harold Schrier
| Harold Schrier | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 17, 1916 Corder, Missouri |
| Died | June 3, 1971 Bradenton, Florida |
| Status | Survived |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1936–1957 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Service number | |
| Unit | Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division |
| Commands held | |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Iwo Jima |
| Awards | Navy Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with Combat "V", Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V", Purple Heart |
| Relations | |
| Later work | Career Marine officer; retired as Lieutenant Colonel in 1957 |
Harold George Schrier (October 17, 1916 – June 3, 1971) was a United States Marine officer who led the patrol that raised the first U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945.
Born in Corder, Missouri, Schrier enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1936 and served as an embassy guard in China before World War II, fighting in major Pacific battles including Midway, Guadalcanal, and New Georgia.
Flag raising on Mount Suribachi
[edit]As a first lieutenant and executive officer of Company E, Schrier led the 40-man patrol up Mount Suribachi and directed the raising of the first (smaller) American flag at about 10:30 a.m. on February 23, 1945 — the first foreign flag to fly over Japanese home soil in the war. He is shown in Sgt. Louis Lowery's photographs of the moment, and later ordered the larger second flag raised. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on Suribachi.
Legacy
[edit]Schrier was later wounded during the Korean War at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. He retired from the Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel in 1957 and died in Bradenton, Florida, in 1971.