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A year or so ago I was looking through old H-D Enthusiast magazines for any articles on my uncle who raced dirt tracks from the late 1930's thru the early 1950's. In looking at photos, I ran across a picture in the December 1939 edition with a name that sounded familiar ... Mike Strank from Johnstown, PA astride a late '30's Harley. It took me a few minutes to remember that name from a book I had read ... Flags of Our Fathers about the Iwo Jima Flag Raisers. Mike Strank would, 5 years later, find himself on top of Mt. Suribachi raising a flag in the quintessential photo from WWII. Mike is one of the three that were killed within a couple of weeks, before the surviving flag raisers were pulled out of combat for a War Bond Drive. Mike was a Marine Sergeant who was the squad leader of the group sent up Mount Suribachi to clear the top. Mike died on March 1, 1945 about a week after his group was photographed raising the flag. He was hit by a mortar as he was diagramming a plan in the sand for his squad. Mike is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Just thought it was interesting running in to his photo well before his date with history.
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I have been to Iwo Jima three times I think, been on top of Mt Suribachi. Have explored several of the Japanese caves. An unforgetable experience, even in peace time. What they went through and what they did, unbeliev'able. As brave as mankind can get I think. Been to alot of Islands of the Pacific that were fierce battlefields in the war. Still lots of wreckage and signes of the war, if you look for it. That generation was one of the best for sure, they went along way to making our country great and left us tall shoes to fill. -
Its always nice to hear stories from that period in time! As bad as things were Im glad and proud of all we as a Country did!!
Years ago before I found my true calling in life I worked as an Electrician installing traffic Lights all over New England, one job took us to Manchester New Hampshire and being from away we stayed at this hotel,now Im talking better than 35 years ago and Manchester wasnt the megatropoulis it is today.long story short the nite front desk man was a very quite oldman,after a hard days work we would of course hit the bars and come in late at which point he would let us, in say a few words and we would be on our way, well 1 nite I stopped had a conversation with him and low and behold HE was one of the brave soldiers that raised the flag !! He never talk more about it other than to say lots of good Americians lost their lives that day! I had a new found respect for this man who did so much for me(All of US!) and was so humble about it !! I will never forget how it made me feel then and now....PROUD !Comment
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Good Find!
That's a good historic find and excellent detective work!Originally posted by 40 Nuck View Post
If the identity of the rider in the 1939 Enthusiast can be verified as the same Mike Strank who was on Iwo Jima, then this would be a valuable submission to the club mag. The Mike Strank who helped raise the flag on Mt. Suribachi is an important figure in WWII history. That he was a motorcyclist and appeared in the 1939 Enthusiast would be a useful fact for WWII historians and any biographer of the men in the famous flag-raising photo. Probably no one else has found this.
Here's a link to Mike Strank. The dates and places seem right, and there's a photo of him too. Can you identify this Mike Strank with the rider of the same name in the 1939 Enthusiast? Can you post the photo?
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/michaels.htmComment
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I am 99.9% sure the two are the same. The photos (on-line photos and Enthusiast photos) look to match, the age and hometown match. The other thing to note is that Mike was actually born in Czechoslovakia, and his family Americanized his name ... so unless he had a cousin with the same name, etc. this is the guy. I'll try to scan the photo from The Enthusiast and one from on-line, however, so you can be the judge. I to think it would be a great article. By the way, the gentleman from New Hampshire was one of the last two survivors ... Rene Gagnon (sp?) ... neat story about your experience with him ... thanks for sharing it.Vic Ephrem
AMCA #2590Comment
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Also meant to ask Tom Lovejoy why he's been to Iwo Jima three times. Tom, did you have a relative that served there?Vic Ephrem
AMCA #2590Comment
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Yes, seeing the two photos of Mike Strank would be great.
It's most likely the same person, but verifying it would be nice.
Here's another thought. During WWII Harley riders in the military often wrote letters to Enthusiast and their whereabouts appeared in club news items. It would be worth reviewing the WWII issues of Enthusiast as it's very possible that Mike Strank appears again, perhaps telling what theater of operations he was serving in.
This is a good find for the club mag.Comment
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Great thread guys! I also looked in my copy of the Enthusiast and found the picture. They do indeed look like the same guy. I have all the Enthusiasts from 1920 to current issues and can look at the war years issues. Also all the Motorcyclist through the same time period and they always had club news and letters from servicemen in them. It gives me a little project while I get over some sinus crud.
RobbieRobbie Knight Amca #2736Comment
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I like most of us in the club am a history buff, my Uncle served and fought through out the war in the Pacific. Went into the service in 40, was in the Arizona Bush Masters. He saw lots of bad stuff and even 60 years later can hardley talk about it, without crying. I just found out he was awarded 5 Bronze star's!, he never said a thing. He has never been able to get over the terrible things he went through, so we never talked about it - almost never. I read his command faced many Bonsi charges, he is one of the gentlest people I have ever known - I always feel bad for him, going through that. He has had a good long life, but he has seen more than enough of the bad for sure.
I was super lucky to be in the Coast Guard, on one of the only Coast Guard cutters based in Micronesia. We patrolled a fast area and we regularly stopped at truely remote islands and atols all over that part of the world - this was in the late 80's. You would not believe the things I saw and experienced, I mean like being back on the Bounty in the 1700's . When ever we were headed in the area of Iwo Jima, we would almost always stop and go ashore. I tell you that island really filled me with foreboding, seeing what they faced. Looking through some of the fortifications and what the Marines had to advance against. I cant believe that it was done at all hardly, way beyond brave !!!
Something funny, once I was exploring in one of the Japanese caves, or tunnels. With a U. S. Navy Seal trained Diver - real macho dude. We were hunched over the tunnels are not tall and we had a flash light, well a rat ran right between our legs - scared the crap out of us, we were sreaming like little girls. Funny as heck cause let me tell you he was a tuff dude. The tunnels are very hot and get hotter the farther you go down too, quite spooky there and a sad place too.Comment
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Tom,
That's very interesting stuff. Whether a person believes in "spirits" or not, places tied to strong historical events def. have a mood or aura about them. A place like Iwo Jima must be some of the strongest.
My dad was a WWII vet in Europe and only when he was sick and towards the end of his life did he open up and talk about it. I got a 60 page interview out of him and glad I did.Comment
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It wouldn't be surprising if Mike Strank shows up again during the war years in those mags. Locating something else might help nail this down.Originally posted by Rub View PostComment
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