Franklin Sousley

Franklin Sousley

Infobox Military Person
name= Franklin Sousley
born= birth date|1925|09|19
died= death date and age|1945|03|21|1925|11|19
placeofbirth= Hilltop, Kentucky
placeofdeath= KIA on Iwo Jima


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|United States United States of America
branch=
serviceyears=1943-1945
rank= Private First Class
commands=
unit= 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines
battles= World War II Battle of Iwo Jima
awards= Purple Heart
laterwork=
portrayedby= Joseph Cross

Franklin Runyon Sousley (September 19, 1925March 21, 1945) was one of the six men in the famous photograph of United States Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima in World War II.

Early life

Sousley was born in Hilltop, Kentucky, to Duke and Goldie (Mitchell) Sousley as the middle child of three sons and a daughter. When Franklin was one year old, his sister, Jamie Marie, died of yellow fever. When he was three, his five-year-old brother died of appendicitis. Franklin attended a two-room schoolhouse in the nearby town of Elizaville, and another brother, Julian, was born in May of 1933. A year later, Franklin's father died of diabetes at just 35. Only nine years of age, Franklin now found himself the man of the family, keeping his mother's spirits up with his sense of humor and easygoing personality. He graduated from Fleming County High School in 1943.

World War II, and the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima

Sousley received his draft notice at eighteen and chose to become a U.S. Marine. After extensive training, he eventually found himself as part of the U.S. 5th Marine Division landing force in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Together with John Bradley, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, Harlon Block, and Michael Strank, he helped raise a replacement flag on Mount Suribachi, immortalized along with the others in Joe Rosenthal's famous photograph.

The importance of the photograph as a propaganda tool was recognized immediately, and word had been sent that Sousley was to be brought back to America for a War bond tour along with John Bradley and Rene Gagnon. (At that time Gagnon, under threat from Ira Hayes, had not revealed Hayes' participation in the flag raising.) According to "" by Parker Bishop Albee, Jr. and Keller Cushing Freeman, when the word reached Iwo Jima, Sousley was on a dangerous part of the island, and his company commander, Captain Dave Severance, decided it was safer to leave him where he was than attempt an extrication under the conditions.

Death in battle

According to James Bradley's "Flags of Our Fathers", on March 21, 1945, PFC Sousley was shot in the back by a Japanese sniper while walking down the middle of an open road on the nearly-secured island. He was nineteen years old. A fellow Marine saw Sousley lying on the ground and asked, "How bad are you hit?" Sousley's reply (and last words) were reportedly, "Not bad, I can't feel a thing." Originally buried on Iwo Jima, his body was reinterred on May 8, 1947, in Elizaville Cemetery, Kentucky.

Awards and decorations

Private First Class Sousley was awarded the following decorations and medals:

*Purple Heart (posthumously);
*Presidential Unit Citation with one star (for Iwo Jima);
*Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one battle star (for Iwo Jima);
*World War II Victory Medal.

Portrayal in film

Franklin Sousley is featured in the 2006 Clint Eastwood movie "Flags of Our Fathers", where he is played by American actor Joseph Cross. The movie is based on the book of the same title.

In the 1961 film "The Outsider", Sousley's role in the flag raising is given to a fictional character named James B. Sorenson, played by James Franciscus.

ee also

*Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
*


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Franklin Sousley — Franklin Runyon Sousley Franklin Runyon Sousley, né le 19 septembre 1925 et décédé le 21 mars 1945, fut l un des six Marines américains immortalisé par Joe Rosenthal sur la photographie Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, lors de la bataille d Iwo Jima …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Franklin Sousley — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Franklin Runyon Sousley. Franklin Runyon Sousley (19 de septiembre de 1925 – 21 de marzo de 1945) fue uno de los seis marines famosos captados en la fotografía Alzando la bandera en Iwo Jima, durante la Segunda Gue …   Wikipedia Español

  • Alzando la bandera en Iwo Jima — Estatua en honor al evento en el Memorial del Cuerpo de Marines de los Estados Unidos del Condado de Arlington …   Wikipedia Español

  • Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima — is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.The… …   Wikipedia

  • Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima — Le U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, situé à Arlington, en Virginie Vidéo de la pose du drapeau, t …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima — Le U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, situé à Arlington, en Virginie Vidéo de la pose du drapeau, tournée par le Marine Bill Genaust …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Raising the flag on iwo jima — Le U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, situé à Arlington, en Virginie Vidéo de la pose du drapeau, t …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Michael Strank — Born November 10, 1919(1919 11 10) Jarabina, Czechoslovakia (no …   Wikipedia

  • Michael Strank — Sargento Años de servicio 1939 1945 Lealtad …   Wikipedia Español

  • Ira Hayes — Ira Hamilton Hayes Nickname Chief Falling Cloud Born January 12, 1923 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”