Norman Hatch at the
Marine Corps War Memorial following a flag raising ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the flag-raising at
Iwo Jima (February 23, 2009)
Born
(1921-03-02)March 2, 1921 Boston, Massachusetts
Died
April 2, 2017(2017-04-02) (aged 96) Alexandria, Virginia
Norman Thomas Hatch (March 2, 1921 – April 22, 2017) was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who filmed much of the combat footage used in the documentary film With the Marines at Tarawa.[2]
Early life
Hatch was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in nearby
Gloucester.[2][3]
Military service
In 1939, Hatch joined the Marine Corps. Some of his cine films are now online; see External Links (below).
In November 1943, he was part of the
Battle of Tarawa, and waded ashore with other Marines. Hatch used a
Bell & HowellEyemo to film the invasion and the ensuing combat.[4]
Civilian career
After the war, Hatch worked for the
U.S. Department of Defense as a civilian from 1946 until 1980. He later opened and ran a photo agency, Photo Press International, for 21 years.