Paul Edward Ison (October 8, 1916 – October 3, 2001) was a United States Marine Corps infantryman featured in an iconic World War II photograph shot by photographer Private Bob Bailey during the Battle of Okinawa on May 10, 1945, in which the crouching Ison is seen running across "Death Valley" while dodging heavy machine gun fire.

[1] An Ashland, Kentucky native born on October 8, 1916, Paul E. Ison was initially denied enlistment into the U.S. military, as he was a married father of four children.

By the spring of 1945, he was trained as a demolitionist/flamethrower aboard the USS McCracken heading for Okinawa, a small island located south of Japan in the Ryukyu Chain.

The team crossed successfully, one at a time, dodging heavy fire and incoming rounds to join the assault platoon on the other side.

This was when a young photographer captured the photo of a single Marine Corps rifleman, who was Paul E. Ison, moving forward under fire with resolute determination.

They quickly realized they would need to cross two more times in order to first return for the charges and then carry the satchels filled with TNT back across Death Valley.