MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- All Marines are familiar with the legendary flag raising on Mount Suribachi, but most could not name one of the six individuals in the famous picture taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima in1945.
Sgt. Michael Strank, Cpl. Harlon Block, Pfc. Ira Hayes, Pfc. Franklin Sousley and Pfc. Rene Gagnon are the five Marines in the photo and Petty Officer 2nd Class John Bradley was the Sailor who completed the group.
It was under Strank’s leadership that the six men made the trek safely up the mountain in order to place an American flag high enough so, according to Strank, “… every Marine on this cruddy island can see it.”
Unfortunately, shortly after the raising of the flag three of the young men would meet their fate on the same foreign soil where the famed image captured them standing as they proudly raised Old Glory.
Only Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon would live to ever see their beloved country again. They were unique young men from different backgrounds, ethnicities, religious preferences and character, but they all found themselves together in the military, unknowingly at the time, performing a task that would later stand as a reminder of courage and pride. Their images are displayed on monuments and stamps, in re-enactment ceremonies and memorial events, eventually becoming one of the most — if not the most renown — military photograph of all time.
As an infant, Strank was brought to the U.S. from Czechoslovakia by his parents and grew up in Pennsylvania, eventually trying his hands as a coal miner before making the decision to join the military. According to www.iwojima.com, he was a studious learner with a photographic memory and a knack for leadership. He joined the Marine Corps at the age of 20 and quickly advanced through the ranks before eventually landing in Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945.
Block was born Nov. 6, 1924, in Rio Grande, Texas. According to the Arlington National Cemetery Web site, he was a superb athlete who grew up as a pacifist Seventh Day Adventist. Block joined the Marine Corps on Feb. 18, 1943, and was a member of the Parachute Replacement Battalion, 1 Marine Amphibious Corps and 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division, with which he traveled to Iwo Jima.
Hayes was a Pima Indian born Jan. 12, 1923, in Sacaton, Ariz., on the Gila River Indian Reservation. Hayes became a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps and also spent time as a carpenter before enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve Aug. 24, 1942. Hayes spent time in California, New Caledonia, Vella Lavella and Hawaii before embarking with his unit to Iwo Jima.
Sousley was born in Flemingsburg, Ky., Sept. 19, 1925. He was only 9 when he lost his father and took over the responsibilities as the man of the house. According to James Bradley, author of “Flags of Our Fathers,” Sousley was a “good old hillbilly” and a practical joker. He was a freckle-faced redhead who was raised on a tobacco farm before traveling in the Corps brought him to Iwo Jima.
Gagnon was the youngest of the men, as well as the most reserved. He was born in Manchester, N.H., March 7, 1925. According to the Arlington National Cemetery Web site, Gagnon was the one who actually carried the flagpole up Mount Suribachi at the age of 18.
Before joining the Marine Corps Reserves, March 6, 1943, Gagnon worked in a local textile mill. He spent time in South Carolina, Hawaii and California before landing on Iwo Jima with 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment.
Bradley was born in Antigo, Wis., July 10, 1923. Shortly before joining the Navy, Bradley graduated from a 19-month apprenticeship course under the guidance of a funeral director. Bradley was the only Sailor out of the six men, and he is quoted for saying, “People refer to us as heroes — I personally don’t look at it that way. I just think that I happened to be at a certain place at a certain time, and anybody on that island could have been there. We certainly weren’t heroes — and I speak for the rest of them as well. That’s the way they thought of themselves also.”
Whatever brought the men together on the hill that day was not enough to bring them all home alive.
Strank lost his life to a mortar round while he was diagramming a plan in the sand. He was the first in the group to die. He was quoted as having turned down a promotion two months prior to the battle in order to fight beside his brothers in arms. “I trained these boys, and I’m going to be with them in battle.” Strank was 26-years-old when the mortar round ended his life.
With Strank gone, Harlon took command of his squad, but his leadership was short lived. According to the Arlington National Cemetery Web site, a few hours later, Harlon was sliced from his neck to his groin by a mortar round. His last words were, “They killed me,” a phrase he uttered as he lay dying. Harlon was 21.
Sousley was the last of the flag raisers to die in the battle of Iwo Jima. According to the Arlington National Cemetery Web site, a sniper shot Sousley, and when someone asked him how he was doing, he replied, “Not bad. I don’t feel anything.” He then fell to the ground, lifeless. At the time of his death, Sousley was two years short of the legal drinking age of 21.
Hayes left the battle with a heavy heart. According to the Arlington National Cemetery Web site, he spent the remainder of his life in and out of jail, suffering from alcoholism. His battle with drinking became a war he would not walk away from. He died at 32 from alcohol-related causes.
After Iwo Jima, Gangon pieced his life together — more than Hayes had done, but was never able to live a stable, constructive life. He also battled with alcoholism and unemployment. Although he would live to be 54, Gangon was unable to escape what he experienced during the Battle of Iwo Jima, and passed away from a heart attack.
Bradley was the only survivor who became successful and lived a long life after the war. The modest patron became the owner of a family business and often gave to local charitable causes. He had eight children and was married for 47 years. He died at the age of 70.
Although the image has become an icon, the people and reasons behind the flag-raising event are not as well known. Many Marines and other military members lose their lives during war and peacetime, but their stories are never told. If the camera shutter had not captured the picture that day, these men may not have ever been recognized for their courage and audacity.