Franklin Sousley
| Franklin Runyon Sousley | |
|---|---|
Sousley in 1944
|
|
| Born |
September 19, 1925 Hill Top, Kentucky |
| Died | March 21, 1945 (aged 19) Iwo Jima, Japan † |
| Place of burial | Originally on Iwo Jima later reinterred in Elizaville Cemetery, Kentucky |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Years of service | 1944–1945 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Purple Heart Medal Combat Action Ribbon |
Franklin Runyon Sousley (September 19, 1925 – March 21, 1945) was a United States Marine who was killed in action during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. He is best known for being one of the six flag-raisers who helped raise the second U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945 as shown in the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.
The Marine Corps War Memorial located in Arlington, Virginia, which was modeled after the flag-raising photograph, depicts bronze statues of each of the six Marine flag-raisers.
Sousley was born in Hill Top, Kentucky, the second child born to Merle Duke Sousley (1899–1934) and Goldie Mitchell (November 9, 1904 – March 14, 1988). When he was two years old, his five-year-old brother, Malcolm Brooks Sousley (November 24, 1923 – May 30, 1928), died due to appendicitis. Franklin attended a two-room schoolhouse in nearby Elizaville, and attended Fleming County High School in nearby Flemingsburg from ninth to twelfth grade. His younger brother Julian was born in May 1933, and his father died due to diabetes complications a year later, at age 35. At only nine years old, Franklin was the sole male-figure in the family, and assisted his mother in raising Julian. Julian died in a car accident on 4 October 1951, at the age of 18. Sousley graduated from Fleming High School in May 1943, and resided in Dayton, Ohio as a worker in a refrigerator factory.
Sousley received his draft notice, and chose to join the United States Marine Corps on January 4, 1944. Later, he underwent extensive combat training in California and Hawaii as a member of the E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, Fifth Marine Division.
...
Wikipedia