February 27, 2020
MHA Nation pays tribute to war hero Ira Hayes
By Logan J. Davis
The flag raising of Iwo Jima was remembered in the homeland of Ira Hayes and his memory and sacrifice was honored in a parade and a banquet the night before.
Hayes was a member of the Gila River Pima Tribe and one of the United States Marines who planted the U.S. flag on the hill of Iwo Jima in 1945. An iconic photo taken after the battle was over was a major inspiration for our war-weary country. The photo was used as a model for a gigantic sculpture that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the World War ll Memorial Park in Washington D.C. every year. But in Sacaton, Arizona, where Hayes was born, there are thousands who visit and pay homage to the Native American war hero every year at the parade and the Ira Hayes family banquet.
VFW Post 9061 Commander Carson Hood Sr. and his wife Judy were joined by a contingent of VFW Post 9061 veterans at the Ira Hayes family banquet on Friday evening that is hosted by the Gila River Pima veterans posts and the Gila River tribal leaders in Sacaton.
Hayes was a member of the Gila River Pima Tribe and one of the United States Marines who planted the U.S. flag on the hill of Iwo Jima in 1945. An iconic photo taken after the battle was over was a major inspiration for our war-weary country. The photo was used as a model for a gigantic sculpture that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the World War ll Memorial Park in Washington D.C. every year. But in Sacaton, Arizona, where Hayes was born, there are thousands who visit and pay homage to the Native American war hero every year at the parade and the Ira Hayes family banquet.
VFW Post 9061 Commander Carson Hood Sr. and his wife Judy were joined by a contingent of VFW Post 9061 veterans at the Ira Hayes family banquet on Friday evening that is hosted by the Gila River Pima veterans posts and the Gila River tribal leaders in Sacaton.
