Photo:Newly Sworn Somerville Commissioner of Veterans’ Services Bryan Bishop placing flowers in honor of Iwo Jima Day and Sgt. Henry “Hank” Hansen.
Tuesday, 23 February, marks the 71st anniversary of the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi on the Island of Iwo Jima. Very few people realize that there were two flag raising a that day. Somerville’s very own Sgt Henry “Hank” Hansen was part of the first team that raised a flag that day. This flag was a smaller flag that was later replaced with a larger flag for greater visibility. The second flag was the one captured in the Pulitzer Prize winning photo by Joe Rosenthal that recharged the American spirit and represented a turning point in WWII.
