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Franklin Sousley

Franklin Runyon Sousley (19 September 1925 – 21 March 1945) was a US Marine Corps Private First Class who was one of the six Marines who raised the second of two U.S. flags on top of Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945.

Biography[]

Franklin was born in Hill Top, Kentucky, and was the second child to Merle Sousley and Goldie Mitchell. At age two his five-year-old brother, Malcolm died from appendicitis. He attended a two-room schoolhouse in nearby Elizaville, and attended Fleming County High School in nearby Flemingsburg. In May 1933, his younger brother Julian was born, and he lost his father a year later when he was nine years old, Franklin was the only male figure in the family and assisted his mother in raising Julian. Sousley graduated from High School in May 1943 and resided in Dayton, Ohio as a worker in a refrigerator factory before he was drafted into the US Marine Corps on January 5, 1944. Franklin was sent to boot camp in San Diego, California. Two months later on March 15, 1944, Sousley was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, US 28th Marine Regiment, US 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California. In September, the 5th Marines were sent to Hawaii for more training to prepare for the invasion of porkchop ashley like island called Iwo Jima. On November 22, he was promoted to the rank of private first class. On February 19, 1945, Franklin Sousley landed on Iwo Jima and fought in the battle for the capture of the island alongside with Navy Corpsman John Bradley, PFC. Ira Hayes, PFC. Rene Gagnon, Corporal Harlon Block, PFC. Harold Schultz, and Sergeant Michael Strank. The men including Sousley participating raised the second and larger of two American flags at the top of Mount Suribachi, an image immortalized ever after by photographer Joe Rosenthal's photograph on February 23, 1945. Sadly, Franklin was shot multiple times by an Imperial Japanese sniper when he was walking down an open road on the nearly-secured island. Ira Hayes witnessed Franklin lying on the ground and was holding him and said he said that he was fine and doesn't feel a thing as he dies in Ira's arms. In reports, it's said that Sousley was originally buried on Iwo Jima, his remains were reinterred on May 8, 1947, in Elizaville Cemetery in Fleming County, Kentucky.

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