Historical Information

This month in Arlington history……

On February 23, 1945, six Marines raised a flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima. The moment was captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal and the photograph became the symbol of American heroism in the battle for Iwo Jima. Those six flag raisers, Corporal Harlan H. Block, Pharmacist Mate Second Class John H. Bradley, Private First Class Rene Gagnon, Private First Class Ira Hayes, Private First Class Franklin R. Sousley, and Sergeant Michael Strank are forever memorialized in the United States Marine Corps Memorial, located just outside the northern border of Arlington National Cemetery. Three of the six flag raisers are interred in Arlington. Cpl. Gagnon is interred in Section 51, Grave 543, very near to the Marine Corps Memorial. Pfc. Ira Hayes is interred in Section 34, Grave 479-A. Pfc. Michael Strank, who was killed on Iwo Jima on March 1, 1945, is interred in Section 12, Grave 7179.