Our Flag Still Waves
Welcome to this web site honoring U.S. Marine Sergeant Michael Strank, leader of the six men who raised the United States flag over the timy Pacific island of Iwo Jima during World War II.
In 2015 several veterans’ organizations from Sgt. Michael Strank’s hometown of Johnstown, PA organized a legacy project to salute the men and women who served in World War II. The goal was to educate the young people of today that they may better understand the extreme sacrifices so many of their great grandparents made for freedom. They were indeed the Greatest Generation. May the life and example of U.S. Marine Sergeant Michael Strank encourage a strong spirit of patriotism among the youth of our community and nation.
May God bless America!
Program Participants will include:
•Ambassador Andrej Droba, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the United States of America
•Marine Corps League Detachment 287 Johnstown, PA
•John Polacek, US Marine Corps Veteran and Master of Ceremonies
•Robert Eyer, Founder & Advisory Board Member, Sergeant Michael Strank Legacy Project
•Kathy Strank Kasper, Niece of Michael Strank
“The legacy of our veterans lives on through the generations they continue to inspire.”
All are invited. Veterans are especially welcome.
There is no cost to attend this re-dedication event.
In order to help us prepare, please RSVP
below by November 9th.
Our Strank Legacy Project originally coordinated with the 70th anniversary of the Iwo Jima flag raising. Funds were donated to place a granite monument in a quiet military park in Franklin Borough, Johnstown, PA, close to where the Strank family settled when they immigrated to America.
Next, our local veterans group commissioned a video documentary, Our Flag Still Waves, about Michael Strank. It is a very personal picture of one young man who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The story is told by family members, neighbors and local veterans. The narrator is former Pennsylvania Governor and Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge.
The video premiered during a community celebration in February, 2015 at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown. More than a thousand people attended the event. The keynote speaker was Brigader General David J. Furness, U.S.M.C.
Additional pages of this web site offer historical detail about the events of World War II in the Pacific. This information was prepared by a local Cambria County history student, Scott Krug. We thank him for his efforts.
The Veterans Groups that organized The Strank Project are:
- Veterans Memorial Monument, Inc.
- Franklin VFW
- Conemaugh Valley Veterans
- Marine Corps League League Detachment 287
The Strank Project is a non-profit venture, managed by volunteers,
with limited funding through the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
Please Support
the Strank Project
Donations help an ongoing effort to remember and honor the lives of World War II veterans from western Pennsylvania and across the nation. Contributions are tax deductible, and are managed by the non-profit Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, 216 Franklin Street, Johnstown, PA 15901. Phone: (814) 536-7741. Web: www.cfalleghenies.org
