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05-28-2001, 04:41 PM
Memorial Day, 2001: Marine from Franklin Borough never knew impact of Iwo Jima photo (http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010528strankreg3.asp)
Monday, May 28, 2001
By Milan Simonich, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
FRANKLIN BOROUGH, Pa. -- Not much is left of this town of 442 people except the legend of Mike Strank.
His image roars back to life each Memorial Day, attracting notice from politicians and passers-by. All the attention would mortify Strank if he were around to see it.
He was one of the six U.S. servicemen who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945. The picture of those five Marines and one Navy man became one of the most famous photographs ever, immortalizing everyone in it.
Strank never knew of the photo's impact, for his life ended just six days after the flag-raising. He was killed by friendly fire on March 1, 1945, at age 25.
"If Mike would have lived and come home, he would never have gone for all the celebrating," said his brother, John Strank of Toledo, Ohio. "He would have said, 'I was just there and I happened to be in the picture. So what?' "
Mike Strank's sister-in-law, Ann Strank of Forest Hills, takes the same position.
"Mike, he would have been embarrassed by all of it. He was not the type to think you were a hero because you raised a flag. He saw too much war to think that was anything special."
Yet that flag-raising 56 years ago on an island hell on earth still resonates with the public.
....
Click here to read more (http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010528strankreg3.asp)
Monday, May 28, 2001
By Milan Simonich, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
FRANKLIN BOROUGH, Pa. -- Not much is left of this town of 442 people except the legend of Mike Strank.
His image roars back to life each Memorial Day, attracting notice from politicians and passers-by. All the attention would mortify Strank if he were around to see it.
He was one of the six U.S. servicemen who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945. The picture of those five Marines and one Navy man became one of the most famous photographs ever, immortalizing everyone in it.
Strank never knew of the photo's impact, for his life ended just six days after the flag-raising. He was killed by friendly fire on March 1, 1945, at age 25.
"If Mike would have lived and come home, he would never have gone for all the celebrating," said his brother, John Strank of Toledo, Ohio. "He would have said, 'I was just there and I happened to be in the picture. So what?' "
Mike Strank's sister-in-law, Ann Strank of Forest Hills, takes the same position.
"Mike, he would have been embarrassed by all of it. He was not the type to think you were a hero because you raised a flag. He saw too much war to think that was anything special."
Yet that flag-raising 56 years ago on an island hell on earth still resonates with the public.
....
Click here to read more (http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010528strankreg3.asp)