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.
The 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, a number of veterans groups from the Johnstown, PA area 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 lesson plans for history students in middle school thru high school, as well as historical detail about the events of World War II in the Pacific and the battle of Iwo Jima. In addition, beginning in 2027, The Strank Legacy Project will focus on encouraging a spirit of patriotism in our nation’s youth through a scholarship program, as well as educational lesson plans and history teacher education programs.
The Western Pennsylvania Veterans Groups that organized The Strank Legacy Project are:
- Sgt. Michael Strank Advisory Board
- Veteran Community Initiatives, Inc.
- Conemaugh Valley Veterans
- Marine Corps League League Detachment 287
The Sgt. Michael Strank Legacy Project is a non-profit venture, managed by a volunteer Board of Advisors, with funding managed by the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
Please Support
the Strank Project
Tax deductible donations help this ongoing effort to remember and honor the lives of World War II veterans from western Pennsylvania and across the nation. Donations also fund the Strank Legacy Project’s scholarships and teacher education programs. Contributions are managed by the non-profit Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, 216 Franklin Street, Johnstown, PA 15901. Phone: (814) 536-7741. Community Foundation website: www.cfalleghenies.org
