US Marine commander who directed troops to plant first American flag on Iwo Jima for one of the most iconic photos of World War Two dies aged 102

A World War Two US Marine who commanded his troops to plant an American flag on the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima - resulting on one of the conflict's most iconic photographs - has died aged 102. 

Dave Severance died Monday at his home in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. 

Severance spent his retirement quietly trying to set the record straight that there were two flag-raisings that February morning in 1945 - the day one of warfare's most iconic photos was taken. It was the second one which was snapped and ended up in the annals of history. 

Severance commanded about 40 members of his company to plant a giant American Flag on Mount Suribachi that morning even though the battle for Iwo Jima was not over yet.

Another group was later sent up with a second flag to replace the first, with that raising snapped by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal. The Marines kept the original flag and the Navy secretary would get the second, which flew over Mount Suribachi for the rest of the battle. 

Retired US Marine Commander Dave Severance - who ordered the flag raised for this now-iconic snap on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima - has died aged 102 

Severance died at his San Diego home on Monday, his family said 

Dave Severance is pictured in 1944, while serving as a Colonel in the US marine Corps 

That photo - titled Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima - was captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal who won a Pulitzer Prize. 

It is widely regarded as one of the most iconic photos of all time.  

Both flags are now in the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico, Virginia.

Severance even got a note in 2014 that the Marines would include an addendum in their records acknowledging that there’s more to the story. 

During the war, Severance's 240-man company came ashore in the 10th wave of the 70,000 Marines invading the island. They arrived on a slab of dormant volcano 660 miles south of Tokyo, where they were met by 20,000 Japanese entrenched in fortified caves and tunnels. 

AP photographer Jim Rosenthal, pictured, took the now iconic snap. Troops had actually raised another US flag earlier that day. He captured the second flag raised on film 

He and his six-officer unit out of Camp Pendleton spent 33 of the battle's 36 days on the front lines. About 73 per cent of the company was either killed or wounded, as reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune 

Severance retired from the Marine Corps in 1968 following 32 years of service. After leading Marines in WWII, he went on to fly nearly 70 missions in Korea as an aviator.

After flying combat missions during the Korean War he earned a Distinguished Flying Cross. He was promoted to colonel in 1962 and retired from the military six years later.

He earned a Silver Star and joked that 'it's for surviving' after experiencing several close calls, including a bullet that went between his legs and struck a lieutenant standing behind him.

Severance's death was first reported Wednesday by The New York Times, which attributed the information about his passing to his family. 

He is survived by his two daughters, Nina Cohen and Lynn Severance; two sons, Dave Jr and Mike Severance; as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Severance was pre-deceased by his second wife, Barbara, who died in 2017.  The former colonel's first marriage ended in divorce. 

Services are pending. 

US Marines pose atop Mount Suribachi after they were snapped raising the flag 

Severance was born February 4, 1919 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Dave and Belle Severance. He grew up in Greeley, Colorado, attended the University of Washington for one year and joined the Marines in 1938 - age 19 - with hopes to become a pilot.

He went to San Diego for bootcamp and wound up in the ground forces instead of in the sky.

Severance first saw combat in December 1943, on Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. He later returned to San Diego and then Hawaii for additional training, was promoted to captain in 1944 and then dispatched to Iwo Jima.

The retired colonel is pictured with his daughter Lynn, who has paid tribute to her late father with old photos on Facebook

Severence is pictured celebrating his 100th birthday with his children and grandchildren in February 2019

You could say the rest is history. 

On the fifth day of fighting at Iwo Jima, Severance sent about 40 members of his company to the highest point of the island - Mount Suribachi - to plant the flag.

When it was raised, Americans on the island cheered and ships offshore blew horns and sirens.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Severance said that moment 'gave a real boost to the morale of the troops in the midst of a grim battle'.

He recalled thinking the fight would soon be over but he was wrong.

At his retirement in May 1968 he was the assistant director of personnel at Marine headquarters.  

Rosenthal captured a photo of the second group replacing the flag put up by Severance's troops later in the war - the photo ran in newspapers across the country. 

The image went on the become the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

Severance also had a copy of the photo in his California home signed by the photographer. 

Critics criticized Rosenthal over a rumor that he staged the photo. He died in 2006.

When Severance celebrated his 100th birthday Marine Corps commandant Gen Robert Neller, sent him a letter that said: 'You played a crucial role in shaping the warrior ethos of our Corps.' 

Severance also had a poster for the 2006 movie Flags Of Our Fathers, about the Iwo Jima battle, signed by its director, Clint Eastwood. Severance was portrayed in the film by Neal McDonough and was a consultant on the movie. 

When asked how he would like to be remembered Severance told the newspaper La Jolla Light: 'I never thought about it. Just that I was a Marine for 30 years and I never ended up in jail.'