Ira Hayes stands among them, thirty-two feet tall, caught in a moment that lasted a few minutes on a volcanic island in the Pacific in February 1945.

The real flag from that morning — the larger flag, the second flag, the one in the photograph — is preserved at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.

It is kept in controlled conditions to prevent further deterioration.

The flag is faded and fragile, worn by time and handling.

It is the actual object from the actual event.

It is not permanent.