One, possibly two Marines in that photo were misidentified.
The story about one as I recall ...and I think it was the Marine where you see his backside as the most prominent feature.
Anyway...the mother of the real participant spoke up not too long after the photo release.
“I’m telling you that’s my boy there, and not the one you say. That’s my boy’s backside, and I oughta know...sure did put a ton of diapers on it!”
Turns out her motherly instincts were correct, and things were fixed.
You are correct. One of them was actually Brian Williams.
Not many people know that.
Harold Shultz was one whose mother identified him from his back side. the other was Ira Hays who didn’t want to be identified and wouldn’t say it was Shultz.