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In February and March1945, United States Marines took art in one o! the !iercest battles o! the "ar#s $aci!ic cam ai%n& 'n the small island o! I"o (ima, marines battled "ith (a anese !orces !or )*days& 'nly about *5+miles !rom (a an#s ca ital o! ,okyo, the (a anese !orces "ere determined to not lose %round& Des ite more than -),+++ marine casualties, .merican !orces "on& . hoto%ra h o! si/ soldiers raisin% an .merican !la% on the island remains a symbol o! the .merican 0ictory and the troo s "ho %a0e their li0es !or it& 'ne o! the soldiers ictured "as Ira 1ayes, a youn% $ima Indian marine& 2 As you read, think about how Ira Hayes life
changed during his service in World War II.

Ira Hayes (19231955)

. !ull blood $ima Indian, Ira 1ayes "as born on the $ima 3eser0ation in Sacaton, .ri4ona, on (anuary1-, 19-)& 1e had rarely le!t the boundaries o! the reser0ation at the time he enlisted in the United States Marines in 194-& .!ter 5oinin% the marines, 1ayes trained to be a aratroo er, and in 194) he "as sent to the $aci!ic& 1ayes became "ell kno"n !or his role in the battle on the island o! I"o (ima& It "as here that 1ayes took art in the !la% raisin% ca tured in a !amous hoto%ra h o! the battle& (ose h 3osenthal, a hoto%ra her co0erin% the "ar !or the .ssociated $ress, took the icture on February-), 1945& 1ayes and his !ello" soldiers lanted the !la% on to o! Mount Suribachi, "here it could be seen !rom all around the island& 60entually, 3osenthal#s hoto%ra h became a de!inin% ima%e o! the battle, and Ira 1ayes became a hero o! 7orld 7arII& .s a result o! his role in raisin% the !la%, $resident 3oose0elt asked 1ayes and the other sur0i0in% soldiers in the hoto%ra h to return to the United States to artici ate in a "ar bond dri0e& 1ayes remained humble e0en thou%h he "as o!ten raised !or his heroic role in such an im or8 tant e0ent& 1e ointed out that his role in this e0ent did not make him !eel heroic or roud9 :1o" could I !eel like a hero "hen only !i0e men in my latoon o! 45sur0i0ed, "hen only -; men in my com any o! -5+ mana%ed to esca e death or in5ury<= 1ayes e0en "ent so !ar as to su%%est, :sometimes I "ish that %uy had ne0er made that icture&=

1. What was Hayes life like before he joined the Marines? 2. Where did Hayes and his fellow soldiers raise the American flag on Iwo Jima?

3. Detect Points of View Why do you think Hayes said he did not feel like a hero? Why might he have said that he wished the hotogra h had never been taken?