Thomas E. Franklin is an American photojournalist best known for a single, iconic photograph he took on September 11, 2001. A staff photographer for The Record newspaper of Bergen County, New Jersey, Franklin was on assignment that day and captured one of the most enduring images of the attack on the World Trade Center.
The photograph, titled “Raising the Flag at Ground Zero,” shows three firefighters raising an American flag amid the rubble of the fallen towers. The image, which echoed the famous photograph of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima during World War II, became a powerful symbol of hope, resilience, and patriotism in the wake of the tragedy. Franklin’s photograph was distributed worldwide and became a defining image of the event, earning him numerous accolades, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination and the National Headliner Award. It was also commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp.