“Flags of Our Fathers” 
Features Sgt. Michael Strank

Photo courtesy of Flags of our Fathers' web site

Released on October 20, 2006, Clint Eastwood’s newest movie, Flags of Our Fathers, is a dramatic look at the lives of the six U.S. Marines who raised the American flag at the battle of Iwo Jima in February 1945. 

The event was made famous when a 33-year old cameraman from the Associated Press, Joe Rosenthal, snapped his camera lens at the flag raising atop Mount Suribachi five days into the battle. 

The movie details the graphic horrors of the battle as seen by the three surviving marines: John Bradley, Rene Gagnon and Ira Hayes. It also portrays the violent deaths of Michael Strank and fellow flag raisers Franklin Sousley and Harlon H. Block.

Rene Gagnon, who received many offers of work during the bond drive, found himself as a forgotten hero shortly after the war. 

Ira Hayes, a Native American, was the most resistant to the media attention. At first, he denied that he was even in the now-famous photograph and as the bond drive proceeded he struggled more and more with his alcoholism. A dramatic scene in the movie comes when Ira Hayes meets Mrs. Strank at a fundraiser. When introduced to “Mike’s mom,” he breaks down and hugs her. He then has to be led out of the room. 

Flags of Our Fathers is sometimes hard to watch and very graphic but it does bring forward many forgotten points and clears up a few myths. There were two flag raisings on Mt. Suribachi that day. 

The first flag raising took place earlier that morning. The first patrol made up of 40 men met no resistance as they climbed to the top of the mountain. They tied their flag to a large water pipe found in the area. It was this flag raising that sparked the enthusiastic cheers from the troops and flotilla of off-shore battleships. 

The first flag raising was recorded by photographer Lou Lowery. In the meantime, Sgt. Strank’s patrol was ordered to run a communication line up the mountain. They headed out on their mission. 

One of the “top brass” insisted that the flag waving atop Mt. Suribachi was a marine flag and he wanted it. Rene Gagnon, a runner, was told to take a second flag and catch up to Strank’s patrol. Photographer Joe Rosenthal followed Gagnon. 

Rosenthal, who had previously dropped his camera in the water, wasn’t sure he could even get the shot. The second flag was raised, the photograph was taken and none of those involved thought much of it. The second flag raising did not evoke a response from the troops below or the ships at sea. 

Rosenthal took a group picture after the event. Later, during the bond drive, he was asked if the photograph was posed. He said “yes” believing they were asking about the group shot. For a time, this misunderstanding jeopardized the bond drive. 

Bond tours were elaborate shows consisting of stadium appearances, spotlights, music, war heroes and Hollywood stars. Two months before he died, President Roosevelt met with Henry Morgenthau, his Secretary of the Treasury, and developed the idea of a bond drive based upon the now-famous photograph. 

FDR issued a presidential order: "Transfer immediately by air to Washington, D.C. the six men who appear in the Rosenthal photograph of the flag raising at Mt. Suribachi." Of course, by then only three of the six marines had survived. 

The goal of the bond drive was $13 billion. In the movie, the Morgenthau character gives a chilling description of how financially desperate America had become by 1945. The 7th Bond Drive raised more than all previous drives– over $26 billion. 

Another plot line in the movie is the story of Harlon Block. It had taken several days after the photograph had become famous to locate the featured marines. Harlon Block had been identified as Henry Hansen, who had been in the first flag raising. Back in Texas, Mrs. Block had no doubt that it was her son. After being removed from the bond drive, a destitute Ira Hayes walked 1300 miles to the Block home to inform them that it was indeed Harlon Block who was in the photograph. The Rosenthal photograph became the most reproduced image ever. The original remains in an Associated Press vault in New York City. 

In 1954, President Eisenhower dedicated the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, VA. The statue uses the image of the flag raising, which the Corps has adopted as their own. It is the largest statue in the world. Mrs. Strank attended the dedication ceremonies but little attention was paid to her, the other families or the three surviving marines. 

In 1949, Michael Strank’s body was moved from Iwo Jima to Arlington National Cemetery. 

Editor’s Note: I wrote to John Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers, explaining that I planned to write about Sgt. Michael Strank saying:

“By all of our accounts Mike Strank was a tough marine but a real father figure to all who served under him.”

John Bradley wrote back: 

“Mike turned down a promotion, saying, ‘I promised my boys I would be there for them.’"

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in the news

Tour & Taste   A Smashing Good Time!

The food was scrumptious, the wine tasty, the music melodic and the conversation lively. 
An estimated 75 supporters of the Historical Society came out on the evening of October 7, 2006 for our second annual Tour & Taste. Organizers of the fundraiser “tweaked” last year’s plan to make improvements and will probably do so again in 2007. 

This year the Winery at Wilcox featured a nice assortment of sweet to dry wines. Music was provided by “Sounds from the Porch,” a five piece string ensemble, who for this evening played “from the parlor”. 

Four high school girls volunteered to model period costumes and serve the tasty treats to an appreciative crowd. 

A popular attraction this year was the chancing off of a history basket and several wine baskets that were assembled by Joe, Sandy, Kathy and Mary Inzana. 

Organizers of Tour & Taste 2006 included Andrea Fedore Sims, Betty Seymour, Dee Columbus, Joe Inzana and Pat and Bev Stock. 

Watch for Tour & Taste 2007. Come meet friends, support the Historical Society and have a smashing good time.

Collins Filming Poe

Chris Collins and a film crew from Altoona spent an afternoon and evening at the A. W. Buck House filming his rendition of “A Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. Chris plans to have the film edited and will submit it to the Tribecca Film Festival in NYC and later to the Johnstown Film Festival.

As Jimmy Stewart, Chris will perform scenes from “It’s A Wonderful Life” at our Holiday Open House on Sunday, December 3 at 1:15PM and at 1:45PM.

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RECENT ACCESSIONS
Artifacts
• 1941 Westmont-Upper Yoder band letter - donated by Jan D. Reynolds
• Bill for Warrant/Survey. Joseph E. Marts of Richland Township. Warrant 1 Mar 1849. Document dated 11 Jun 1863 – donated by Jean and Rod Labrie
• Doll clothes c1912 - donated by Jan D. Reynolds
• Letter, V-Mail dated 18 Aug 1945 from Pvt. Arthur Thompson in Saipan to Miss Ruth Evans of Ebensburg, PA – donated by Ruth Stormer
• Manuscript, “History of the Churches in Ebensburg” by William C. Stormer 1997 - donated by Ruth Stormer
• Ladies mink and velvet hat in Penn Traffic box – donated by Jan D. Reynolds
• Numerous newspaper clippings, magazine articles, travel brochures relating to Cambria County – donated by Michael Bishop Rieg
• Program, “Ebensburg Celebrates with America” October 1975 – donated by Ruth Stormer

Books
• Booklet, Flood Free Johnstown - donated by Jan D. Reynolds
• Booklet, Bethlehem Steel 75 Years (1980) - donated by Jan D. Reynolds
• Holy Cross Cemetery reading – Northern Cambria (Spangler) – donated by Martha Brown, Ethel Miller and Raymond Miller
• Marriage Application Records – Blair County, PA. Vol I, Oct 1885-1890 – donated by Margaret Kist
• Roxbury Church of the Brethren directories/year books 1942, 1951, 1984-1990, 1992 – donated by Don Smith
• Scrapbook Album of Charles Schwab and Immergrun – donated by Patricia Pieper Watson

Genealogies
• The Gallahers, a chapter from Ancestors and Descendants of Norris and Elizabeth Bennett by Ned Crislip – donated by Ned Crislip 

Photographs
• 1936 Johnstown Flood - donated by Jan D. Reynolds
• 1939 Revloc Baseball Team – Cambria County Industrial League Tri County Champions - donated by Albin Dahlin
• Stutzman School in Westmont, 1934 Grade 4 - donated by Jan D. Reynolds
• Stutzman School in Westmont, 1934 Grade 5 - donated by Jan D. Reynolds
• “The Inlet” (Lake Rowena, Ebensburg) by Deck Lane – donated by Mary Sue Lipps 
• “The Old Fishing Hole” by Deck Lane – donated by Mary Sue Lipps

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Penn Traffic – On Washington Street since 1854

A great source of Johnstown’s history is found in the 1953 special 100th anniversary edition of the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. 

The opening paragraph of the feature article states: “By local standards of any era, Penn Traffic always has commanded a position of top rank in the merchandising field. For 99 years it has been doing business with successive generations of Johnstown people. During this time the store location on Washington Street has never changed– but it has been enlarged upon in all directions despite assault by flood and fire.”

The article quotes an 1867 writer who was so impressed by the fact that the store employed 25 people, he wrote: “The day of small things has gone by in Johnstown.”

Today the building serves as a United States Federal Courthouse. 

Penn Traffic Timeline

1854– George King (Cambria Iron Works) bought out Stiles, Allen & Co. 

1855– Wood, Morrell & Co. leased Cambria Iron and merged company store with King & Buchanan store. 

1867– New three-story building completed with a staff of 25 employees. 

1889– The Great Johnstown Flood damaged the East wing of the store.

1891– Store name changed to Penn Traffic Limited and a new association severed all the store’s ties with Cambria Iron Works. 

1890-1892 A new four-story building is constructed on the same Washington Street site. 

1903– Company incorporated as Penn Traffic Company. 

1905– Entire building destroyed by fire. 

1908– Present building constructed. 

1916– Downstairs Budget Store opens.

1921 Ready-To-Wear Store added to budget store.

1936– Flood prevented opening of remodeled second floor. Basement and first floor modernized. 

1948– Six new elevators installed.

1949- Five-story addition constructed in the rear of the building.

1954– 100th Anniversary.

(additional to 1953 article)
1977- The department store never re-opened after the third major flood to hit Johnstown. 

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a new look at an old map

The plot map for the town of Beula was filed in the office of Josiah Espy, Recorder of Somerset County, in 1798. 

In 1981, the map was meticulously redrawn by K. J. Farabaugh and widely published. The map shows five town squares, street names and the out-lots of the fledgling settlement. 

Local historians have long known that the plan of Beula, at least on paper, was comprised of one-square mile. But the 1798 map has never been superimposed over a modern map showing the exact location of the squares and streets. 

With the help of GPS technology (Global Positioning Service), that historical connection has been made. This new map is now on display at the Historical Society. 
Some of the details about Beula include: 
• The Beula monument is situated in the N.E. corner of the center square.
• The cemetery is situated at the corner of Lamb and Deal Streets, not next to the public square.
• The modern road running through the area follows the main street (Joy St.) at least from the main square to the present bridge. 
• McDonald’s restaurant is situated near the S.E. corner of the in-town lots. Ebensburg Center is situated on lands that comprised the original out-lots of Beula.
• All Beula street names are one syllable. There are 44 named streets.

 

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2007 DUES REMINDER

Paying your 2007 dues could not be easier.  Just use this link, print and complete the form, and mail to the Cambria County Historical Society.  

Life Member $250       Donor $25     Family $20    

 Individual/Annual $15

 Patron $50    Benefactor $500

Thank you for your support!

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