Memorial Day 2022
- Thread starter Hoosierfrog
- Start date
TxFrog1999
The Man Behind The Curtain
A somber day of remembrance for all of those that bravely answered the call of their country never to see their homes again.
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I might be misremembering my history, but weren't most of those brave men that raised the flag on Iwo Jima later killed in action?
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I might be misremembering my history, but weren't most of those brave men that raised the flag on Iwo Jima later killed in action?
FrogAbroad
Full Member
The men who raised the second flag
Earlier in the day, a small American flag had been raised. Due to its size, however, most US troops could not see the small flag waving from Mount Suribachi. Therefore, six Marines hoisted up a second, much larger American flag.
These men were Michael Strank, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Harold Schultz. Strank, Block and Sousley went on to died on Iwo Jima less than a month after the raising of the flag.
Until 2016, Harold Schultz had been misidentified and was never publicly recognised for his part in the flag raising during his lifetime. He died in 1995.
Previously, it was believed that the sixth man was John Bradley, a Navy hospital corpsman. Bradley’s son, James Bradley, wrote a book about his father’s involvement called Flags of Our Fathers. It is now known that Bradley senior took place in the first flag raising on 23 February 1945.
Who Were the Marines Who Raised the Flag on Iwo Jima?
One of the most iconic photographs taken of the Pacific theatre during World War Two is the image that captured the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima....
The Battle of Iwo Jima resulted in 25,707 deaths, according to the Navy Department Library. The battle caused the deaths of 6,800 American sailors and Marines, as well as the death of 18,917 Japanese soldiers.
Americans also incurred an additional 19,200 casualties. American losses were approximately 26,000 dead or wounded for the battle. There were initially 20,000 Japanese defenders on the island. Of the initial 20,000 soldiers, there were only 1,083 survivors. The Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to 27 American sailors and Marines for the Battle of Iwo Jima, more than any other single engagement in American military history.
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