ACADEMY AWARD(R) WINNER AND MARINE CORPS VETERAN GENE HACKMAN NARRATES IWO JIMA FILM FOR SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL(TM)

"THE UNKNOWN FLAG RAISER OF IWO JIMA" PREMIERES SUNDAY, JULY 3 AT 9 PM ET/PT ON SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL

Sneak peek clip from THE UNKNOWN FLAG RAISER OF IWO JIMA:

NEW YORK - JUNE 30, 2016 - Academy Award winning actor Gene Hackman has signed on to narrate Smithsonian Channel's THE UNKNOWN FLAG RAISER OF IWO JIMA, airing July 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The one-hour special, produced by Lucky 8 TV, provides new evidence and analysis proving that U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. and Purple Heart recipient Harold Schultz was one of the flag raisers in Joe Rosenthal's iconic Iwo Jima photo on Mount Suribachi. This evidence led the United States Marine Corps to correct the historical record.

Known for his iconic roles in The French Connection, The Conversation and Unforgiven, Gene Hackman enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1947 at the age of 17, and he served four and a half years in the Corps as a field radio operator. After leaving the military, Hackman briefly studied radio and television production before enrolling at the famed Pasadena Playhouse to study acting.

He has co-authored three historical fiction novels "Wake of the Perdido Star," "Justice for None," and "Escape from Andersonville." He also solo-authored "Payback at Morning Peak" and "Pursuit."

UNKNOWN FLAG RAISER OF IWO JIMA details the journeys of two feature film military technical advisors, two amateur historians, and an Omaha World-Herald reporter who joined forces to press for an official investigation into the iconic photograph in order to correctly identify all servicemen pictured. The hour chronicles the story of the month-long battle and the men behind the iconic image, solidifying Pfc. Harold Schultz's place in history. The documentary also reveals that Navy Corpsman John "Doc" Bradley - the focus of the book and film Flags of Our Fathers - is not in the iconic photo, but actually participated in the first and lesser-known flag raising on Iwo Jima.

THE UNKNOWN FLAG RAISER OF IWO JIMA is produced by Lucky 8 TV for Smithsonian Channel. Executive producers for Lucky 8 are Simon Boyce, Kim Woodard, Greg Henry and Isaac Holub. Joel Patterson also serves as executive producer for Letter 10 Productions. Executive producers for Smithsonian Channel are Tim Evans, Charles Poe and David Royle.

Smithsonian Channel(TM), owned by Smithsonian Networks(TM), a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing entertainment across multiple platforms. Smithsonian Channel combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME(R) with the unmatched resources and rich traditions of the Smithsonian, to create award-winning programming that shines new light on popular genres such as air and space, history, science, nature, and pop culture. Among the network's offerings are series including Aerial America, Million Dollar American Princesses, The Weapon Hunter, Mighty Ships, Mighty Planes and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include Civil War 360, 9/11: The Heartland Tapes; MLK: The Assassination Tapes and The Day Kennedy Died. Smithsonian Networks also operates Smithsonian Earth(TM), through SN Digital LLC., a new subscription video streaming service delivering spectacular original nature and wildlife content. To learn more, go to www.smithsonianchannel.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.