Local Marine Corps League Members March in Iwo Jima Anniversary Parade

Photos Courtesy of Danna Lopez

Six members of the Marine Corps League, Gaffney-Oglesby Detachment 1328 traveled to Sacaton, AZ on February 24 to participate in the annual parade which honors Marine Ira Hayes and the historic flag raising on Iwo Jima. Marines Ben Collins, Robert Lopez, Sean Wells and Bob Schloss marched carrying the American flag and rifles while Don Spann and Frank Donohue followed in Don's WWII-era Willys Jeep. This year marked the seventy-third anniversary of the Iwo Jima flag raising but league members have been taking part in the tradition for nearly ten years. Though the league members who attend vary each year, the reason for attending is still the same for all of them—honoring one of their own.

Even though these Marines were too young to have known Ira Hayes, he still remains one of the most famous Marines in history, being part of one of the most recognizable photographs in American history. Joe Rosenthal's famous "second" photograph depicts six Marines (Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Harold Schultz, Harlon Block, Michael Strank, and Rene Gagnon) raising the flag on Mount Suribachi which would precede several weeks of intense fighting, bloodshed, and the ultimate loss of 6,800 Marines.

Hayes was part of the Pima Indian tribe on the Gila River Reservation which sits between Casa Grande, AZ and Phoenix, AZ off of I-10. Every year, Marines, Native Americans, and patriots from around the country gather to remember the flag raising, but, more importantly, to remember Ira Hayes and the other Marines who fought and bled on Iwo Jima in 1943. Thousands of people converge on the small reservation every February to pay tribute to this monumental event of World War II. Dozens of people march in the parade including local Natives sharing sacred dance and song, Marine Corps League detachments from states far and near, local youth, color guards, and countless others. In years past, the parade has lasted up to three-and-a-half hours to accommodate the large number of participants. During the parade, spectators are also treated to flyovers by a B-52 bomber and several biplanes.

In the Ira Hayes Memorial Park following the parade, lunch is served (at no cost) to all who attend. The United States flag, Arizona state flag, POW/MIA flag, and all military branch flags are raised with the national anthem being sung in both English and the Pima language by bilingual elementary students. Local vendors set up booths with memorabilia available for purchase. It is open to everyone and free-of-charge. Sacaton, AZ is approximately four hours from Silver City, sitting just north of the I-8 turnoff. Nearby accommodations are available in both Casa Grande and Eloy providing quick access to the reservation from the interstate. The parade typically begins between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. Parking is available along the parade route where you can view the parade, and bleachers are set up near the park to watch the parade if preferred.

It is truly a sight to see: one of the most patriotic displays in the Southwest takes place in a small, out-of-the-way little town. Its size multiplies for one weekend every February and those in attendance show their appreciation for the sacrifice made on their behalf over seventy years ago. They honor a man who is remembered as a hero; yet he never saw himself a hero, trying to escape the unwanted attention before his untimely death at the age of thirty-two. It is worth a short drive and a few hours of your time to remember and honor one of the most important moments, and people, in our nation's history.