WASHINGTON (AFP).- An iconic image from World War II, depicting Marines raising the US flag over Iwo Jima in Japan, is undergoing new scrutiny after it emerged one of the troops in the picture may have been misidentified.

In a statement late Tuesday, the US Marine Corps said it was reviewing information provided by the Smithsonian Channel related to the photograph, taken in February 1945 during the bloody battle for the Japanese island.

The Smithsonian Channel is producing a documentary about the photo and examining the identity of the six men long identified as having erected the flag.

The channel has given the results of its probe to the Marines, though these have not yet been made public.

"With the information and research provided by the Smithsonian Channel, who used advanced digital technology to examine battle footage, the Marine Corps decided to review their photo-enhancements, film analysis, and findings. This review is still ongoing," the Marines said.

The famous photograph was taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, who did not have time to get the names of all the troops in the shot. 

"Joe Rosenthal's photo captured a single moment in the 36-day battle during which more than 6,500 US servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice, and it is representative of the more than 70,000 US Marines, sailors, soldiers and Coast Guardsmen that contributed to the battle," the statement read.



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