Honoring World War II Icon Private First Class Franklin R. Sousley

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a World War II icon, U.S. Marine Private First Class Franklin R. Sousley, of Fleming County, Kentucky.

A graduate of Fleming County High School, Sousley chose to enlist in the Marine Corps where he was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, as a rifleman.

Private First Class Sousley landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. During the intense fighting, American forces secured Mount Suribachi. Shortly thereafter, Sousley, alongside five other fellow servicemembers, raised a large U.S. flag, so it could be seen over the island.

An iconic photograph taken during this raising of the U.S. flag led to an immortalized symbol of the American bravery, perseverance, and sacrifice endured by members of the U.S. Armed Forces during the intense battles of World War II.

Sadly, soon after this photograph was taken, Sousley was killed in combat by a Japanese sniper. His remains were laid to rest in the Elizaville Cemetery in Fleming County, Kentucky, in my district.

Private First Class Sousley paid the ultimate sacrifice defending freedom for generations; however, his memory lives on in the timeless photograph in the image depicted in the Iwo Jima Memorial outside of Washington, D.C., and through the gratitude of all Americans.

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