Flag-Raising Marine Recognized As An American Citizen
Mary Pero, sister of Marine Sgt. Michael Strank, speaks about her brother’s life during a ceremony at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Virginia on Tuesday. Strank, one of six servicemembers immortalized during a flag raising at Iwo Jima, was born in Czechoslovakia and never was officially recognized as an American citizen despite meeting naturalization requirements. On Tuesday federal officials presented his younger sister, Pero, with paperwork honoring his service and confirming his citizenship. Strank is the last Marine on the right in the monument.
July 31, 2008
WASHINGTON — The flag raising at Iwo Jima has become an iconic American image, so federal officials were surprised to learn recently that one of the men was never fully recognized as an American citizen.
Marine Sgt. Michael Strank
Sgt. Michael Strank, one of the Marines immortalized while struggling to lift Old Glory, was officially honored as a U.S. citizen and hero at a ceremony Tuesday in front of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Virginia. It was long overdue.
“He’s a wonderful example of the contributions and sacrifices that immigrants have made to our republic,” said Jonathan Scharfen, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Strank was born in Czechoslovakia in 1919 and moved to Pennsylvania with his mother in 1922. His father, already living in the country, earned his U.S. citizenship in 1935, which under immigration law then automatically made his son a citizen, too. But the family never obtained paperwork confirming that, even after their oldest son joined the Marine Corps in 1939. Strank served for three years before the flag raising, and was killed in battle less than a month later on Iwo Jima.
The oversight likely would never have been discovered if not for the work of Gunnery Sgt. Matt Blaise, a Marine currently stationed at the Slovakia Embassy who researched Strank’s life and service as part of a history hobby. He contacted several federal agencies looking for documentation about Strank’s citizenship. When they all came up empty, he petitioned military and immigration officials for recognition.
Strank’s only surviving sibling, Mary Pero, accepted a new citizenship certificate at Tuesday’s ceremony. She said while no one in her family ever doubted his status as an American hero, the certificate is still precious to her.
“I remember my parents talking about how important it meant for them to get that paper, to know they were citizens,” she said. “This just makes me so proud.
“He was a U.S. citizen.”
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*salute*
July 29th, 2008 at 7:54 pmThat’s a great post. Seeing that, whether the footage, a picture taken during the war or the memorial as pictured above, always reminds me of the sacrifice of America. I was born here, but my sister was not, and I recall that my mom made a big deal of my sister getting her citizenship.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:55 pmSemper Fidelis, Marine.
If any American out there has not read Flags of Our Fathers, you should.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:57 pmI think once a person joins the Military, if they don’t automatically earn their citizenship, they should be fast tacked. There should be an express lane for these guys.
Semper Fi brother.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:11 pmThere is a fast track for military personnel to citizenship but as is always the case, the government can’t do anything right. The guys and girls are waiting on backlogs like you wouldn’t believe.
It is a prime example why I wouldn’t want the government handling health care.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:32 pmOoo-fuckin’-rah, devil dog!
July 29th, 2008 at 9:38 pmThank you, Sgt. Strank!
And thank you, Gunny Blaise, for bringing this to our attention!
Long overdue, well deserved.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:53 pmSemper Fidelis, Marine.
If any American out there has not read Flags of Our Fathers, you should.
________________________________________
CPL Viper “Guys and girls waiting on backlogs like you wouldn’t believe.”
July 29th, 2008 at 9:58 pm_____________________________________
If anyone deserves citizenship and the immediate right to vote these folks do.
Read flags of our fathers-great book. I can’t believe it took until now for him to be a citizen-he should have gotten it YEARS ago
July 30th, 2008 at 3:31 am