Michael Strank
| Michael Strank | |
|---|---|
| |
| Courtesy of Kathy Strank Kasper | |
| Born | November 10, 1919 Jarabina, Czechoslovakia (present-day Slovakia) |
| Died | March 1, 1945 Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |
| Status | KIA |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Service number | |
| Unit | Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division |
| Commands held | |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Iwo Jima |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart |
| Relations | |
| Later work | |
Michael Strank (born Mykhal Strenk; November 10, 1919 – March 1, 1945) was a United States Marine and one of the six men who raised the second U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945 — the moment captured in Joe Rosenthal's iconic photograph.
A Rusyn-American born in what is now Slovakia, Strank emigrated with his family to Franklin Borough, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1939 and saw extensive Pacific combat, including Bougainville, before Iwo Jima, where he served as a squad leader in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines.
Flag raising on Mount Suribachi
On February 23, 1945, Strank was ordered to take his squad up Mount Suribachi with a larger replacement flag. He directed the raising and was one of the six men — with Cpl. Harlon Block, PFC Ira Hayes, PFC Franklin Sousley, PFC Harold Schultz, and Cpl. Harold Keller — photographed hoisting the flagstaff. He was the oldest of the group and the squad's leader.
Legacy
Strank was killed by an artillery shell — likely friendly fire — on March 1, 1945, the first of the flag raisers in the photograph to die. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Legacy Presentation
Presented by Kathy Strank Kasper at the 81st Anniversary
From the 81st Legacy Presentations Book
