The film follows the servicemen through the battle in rough chronological order, from the bombardment of the island by warships and carrier-based airplanes to the final breakdown of resistance.

Although it shows the taking of Mount Suribachi, it then switches to the footage of the second flag raising.

The film ends by acknowledging the 4,000 who had died in the month-long battle, and tells the audience that their deaths were not in vain, showing a bomber aircraft taking off from the island for a mission over Japan.

Bill Genaust (who shot the flag raising sequence), were killed in action.

It was partially filmed in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, California.