Valerie McKenzie, 82; AP Technician Handled Iwo Jima Flag Photo
Valerie McKenzie, 82, who had a hand in distributing the famed picture of Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima during World II, died of brain cancer Oct. 31 at Chesapeake Healthcare in Chesapeake, Va.
McKenzie, a photo technician for Associated Press for 40 years, was working in the news organization’s Washington bureau when the Iwo Jima picture by Joe Rosenthal arrived. The photo, taken Feb. 23, 1945, earned a Pulitzer Prize and became the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial.
Unlike today, when newspapers receive photos via computers and satellites, the system at that time was more of a hands-on effort. Technicians in Washington and other major bureaus would receive a negative transmitted by wire, then make prints that would be distributed to newspapers by messenger or mail, said Hal Buell, retired head of photography for AP.
McKenzie began working for the wire service in 1944 and retired in 1988 after assignments in Washington; Newark, N.J.; New York City; and Omaha.
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