Franklin Sousley
Franklin Runyon Sousley (born September 19, 1925 in Hill Top , United States - † March 21, 1945 in Iwojima , Japan ) was an American soldier of World War II and one of the Marines featured in the famous photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima can be seen.
Life
Sousley was born in Hill Top, Kentucky and grew up with a widowed mother. Before the war he was a factory worker.
He was drafted in January 1944 and joined the US Marine Corps . He was assigned to E-Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division. From February 19, 1945 he took part in the Battle of Iwojima . On February 23, he and five other Marines hoisted an American flag on the Suribachi volcano after a flag had previously been hoisted there, but it was exchanged. A photograph of the hoisting by Joe Rosenthal entitled Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima soon became well known in the United States. Sousley died on March 21 in fire from a Japanese sniper. He was first buried at Iwo Jima and finally reburied in Elizaville Cemetery in Fleming County, Kentucky in 1947.
Sousley's role in raising the flag was later featured in the films The Outsider and Flags of Our Fathers .
Awards
- Presidential Unit Citation
- Purple heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Rifle Expert Badge
- Rifle Markman Badge
A Franklin Sousley Memorial exists in the Fleming County Public Library in Flemingsburg, Kentucky.
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sousley, Franklin |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Sousley, Franklin Runyon (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American soldier |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 19, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hill Top , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 21, 1945 |
| Place of death | on Iwojima , Japan |