Alan Wood, a World War II veteran died April 18 of natural causes at his home in Sierra Madre. Wood was 90. He is best remembered for bringing a flag from Pearl Harbor that was used in the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima. Wood found the large 37 square foot flag at a salvage yard in Pearl Harbor.

He hit the shores of Iwo Jima at the age of 22 and served as a communications officer. After landing, a young Marine approached Wood and asked him if he had a flag. Wood said he did and gave the Marine his salvage yard flag.

Four days into the battle a group of Marines was sent to the summit of Mount Suribachi to plant a US flag. After raising the flag, a second patrol was ordered to replace the flag with a larger one. That’s when Wood’s flag was used and it was that second flag-raising that was captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. Rosenthal won a Pulitzer Prize for his photograph.

Wood’s son Steven said his father was always humbled by his small role in the historic moment. In response to a Marine general who asked for details about the flag, Wood wrote: "The fact that there were men among us who were able to face a situation like Iwo Jima where human life is so cheap, is something to make those of us humble who were so very fortunate not to be called upon to endure such hell."

Over the years many have laid claim to having provided the famous flag, but retired Marine Col. Dave Severance, who commanded the company that took Mount Suribachi, maintains it was Wood. Both flags are on display at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va. After leaving the Navy Wood went on to work as technical artist and spokesman at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge.

Wood is survived by his son Steven, and three grandchildren.