76 years ago, a small group of US Marines raised the US flag atop the blackened peak of Mount Suribachi, an extinct volcano that forms the narrow southern tip of the island Iwo Jima. It rises 550 feet to dominate the surrounding ocean. Before the last major campaigns of WWII, US troops had recaptured most of the other islands in the Pacific Ocean that the Japanese had taken in 1941 and 1942. In 1945, Iwo Jima became a primary objective in American plans to bring the Pacific campaign to a successful conclusion.
The flag-raising symbolized the American success in turning the tide of war against the Japanese military forces. However, it is also a memory of a time when the greatest sacrifices were made by the American fighting forces and their allies to make sure democracy around the world could survive. The photo taken that day became one of the most iconic images ever and later turned into one of the most famous war memorial statues of the world.
That statue represents the nation's gratitude to their Marine Corps and to all who have fought beside them since 1775. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the memorial in a ceremony on November 10, 1954, the 179th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps. After the Second World War, the American armed forces fought in numerous theaters of war. With every battle, the way of fighting changed bit by bit. Over time, the front lines have become more blurred and the faces of the enemies less and less recognizable. We find ourselves in a new digital battlefield where hackers have partially replaced soldiers, data is ammunition, and where the intelligence services are collecting information on a scale incomparable to previous statistics. 'Heroes of None' shows us the way the American public looks at the different intelligence services responsible for the security and the safety of the American people. For many Americans, they represent toughness and persistence to expose new threats, for many others they have broken constitutional laws, and it makes them feel threatened. Some also feel constitutional laws were broken but believe the issue does not outweigh the efforts of the American Intelligence Services. Considering human casualties, we can be relieved we have not seen a new outbreak of war resulting in battles on the same scale as the ones in the closing stages of WWII. However, the challenges facing our governments to keep us safe from terrorism, cyber-attacks, and any form of foreign political interference could be greater than it has ever been. Does the American public show the same level of gratitude to their intelligence services as was done all those years ago for the servicemen and women fighting for American freedom, or do they condemn the whole structure of operation within the American intelligence services?
'Heroes of None' visualizes an iconic moment in time, it shows sacrifices were made many years ago and sacrifices that are still made today, however they are in no way comparable, they are made with similar goals. As the creators of this artwork, we wish to fully respect the complexity of this issue and let this work be nothing more than an open platform for discussion and sharing of opinions.
