The review concluded that John Bradley — the Navy pharmacist’s mate long identified as one of the six men in the photograph — may actually not be in it, and that Navy corpsman Harold Schultz may be one of the figures instead.

This finding, which Bradley’s family disputed, suggests that the identification process has been even more complicated than previously understood.

Ira Hayes’s identification in the photograph has not been seriously disputed.

He was there.

He raised the flag.

The photograph shows him, on the far left, one hand on the pole.

That much, at least, is certain.

What The Photograph Still Cannot Tell You