12 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2020 | THE DEWITT OBSERVER | dewittobserver.com dewittobserver.com | THE DEWITT OBSERVER | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2020 PB PHOTO Supervisors Continued from page 1 Gagnon’s identifications,” said Keil Gentry, hours of conducting interviews, checking But he was never officially identified as Marine Corps University’s vice president historical documents and analyzing pho- tos and videos, including the celebratory one of the Iwo Jima flag-raisers until late for business affairs. “Then Hayes said, to appoint ‘That’s not Hansen, that’s (Harlon) Block.’ “Gung Ho” images from Mount Suribachi, 2019, four decades after his death in 1979 at with contributions made by historians, the the age of 57. And then stuck to the rest of the identifi- Marine Corps, the Army and the Federal “A newborn son that he hadn’t seen cations. As near as we can tell, they were treasurer basically told, ‘Hansen and Block were both Bureau of Investigation. and then the flag-raising — yeah, pretty “I truly wish that they had never identified By JOHN ROHLF amazing week,” his daughter Kay (Keller) killed in action, so basically shut up ... go Observer Correspondent any of the folks in the photograph so that Maurer said during a phone interview. out and sell war bonds.’” The Clinton County Board of Supervisors those six individuals who really worked Maurer thinks her father might have told Bradley was involved in raising a first flag intends to make an appointment Feb. 26 together as a team – that that represented some relatives, including his sisters, about that was replaced by a bigger one shortly for the soon-to-be vacant county treasurer everybody on the island,” Gentry said. “But being a flag-raiser shortly after the war, but afterward. In his opinion, the “U.S. govern- position, the board decided Monday. once you start putting names to it, then I he never sought any attention. She occasion- ment has mishandled these identifications The supervisors supported making the think we as the Marine Corps have an obli- ally would be asked about her father being for years.” decision Feb. 26 if proper notice was given. gation to get it right.” in the picture, but he never provided any “People are putting responsibility on the If proper notice is not given, the board guys that were there,” Bradley said. “They will address the issue at its March 2 board firsthand information to her or others. How they decided weren’t thinking about photos. As they were meeting. Brooklyn, Iowa, is a town of about 1,400 Spence, creator of the documentary Publication is required to occur not less residents; it is 119 miles west of DeWitt just watching their friends’ brains blown away, “Forgotten Flag Raisers,” and fellow histo- than four days and not more than 20 days off Interstate 80. they weren’t aware that photos were being rians Brent Westemeyer and Stephen Foley from the date of the proposed appointment. “I think he just didn’t want any claim to looked at back in the United States. If the conducted key research that helped clarify “We do need to have a special publication fame,” Maurer said. “He was just a quiet guys who were in the pictures that we now the identities. to announce that you’re going to appoint man who just loved his little life in that know, if they came forward like in 1966 and And even after countless hours of investi- someone to that position,” Van Lancker little town of Brooklyn. I think it’s that. I said, ‘Hey, I think I’m in that photo.’ Well, gation, questions still remain. said. “Just being on the agenda won’t do.” think he just didn’t want that recognition. we’ll commit you to the crazy house here. “We do feel that Harold Keller did not Van Lancker said county residents have “And I think also it might have been that It’s a very strange story.” want to go on a Bond Tour anyway,” he 14 days after the notice or 14 days after they just lose so many good friends over Getting it right said. “Harold Schultz is a more difficult the appointment to turn in the petition, there,” she continued. “And why would character to figure out. He had no family of which would require the county to hold a Hansen’s identification was the first to be you want to be associated with any fame or corrected. Block was put into his spot – at his own and had personal tragedy in his life special election. Van Lancker estimated the important thing when you can think of all while fighting in the war. It might not have petition would need around 1,900 to 2,000 the base of the flagpole – in 1947. these buddies that you lost that didn’t make After the war, Hayes visited Block’s fam- mattered much to him either.” signatures. it home? I’m kind of thinking both of those Keller was placed in the spot previously The supervisors must fill the vacancy by ily and told them that their son was in the reasons.” picture. The Blocks wrote to their congress- identified as Gagnon. appointment or through a special election. The discovery came as a revelation to An individual appointed to fill the vacan- 3 misidentified man, who contacted the Marines, leading to Maurer, one of Keller’s three children, cy would serve as county treasurer until the eventual clarification. Associated Press photographer Joe whose father never told her much about the November election, when the county Early talk circulated that some other mis- Rosenthal snapped the picture. But he did his war experience to the point that when treasurer position would appear on the not write down the participants’ names. identifications might ballot. The winner of the November elec- have occurred. he was making recordings for information And so the uncertainty began. to be included in Richard Wheeler’s book tion would serve the remainder of Clinton But seven decades Rosenthal’s film was flown to Guam and “The Bloody Battle for Suribachi,” he County Treasurer Rhonda McIntyre’s term, passed without much then radio-telegraphed back to the U.S., would not speak in front of her. which is set to run through 2022. analysis being done. where it became an immediate sensation. “Whenever dad would get out the tape McIntyre announced she will retire effec- People are putting Then, in June President Franklin Roosevelt wanted to recorder, I thought, ‘Here’s my chance, I tive March 31. responsibility 2016, the Marine use the living flag-raisers to promote the can hear his stories.’ So when he’d get out Meanwhile, at a future board meeting, on the guys that Corps announced upcoming Seventh War Loan Drive. the tape recorder I’d plunk down there in the board will consider approving bid-let- were there. They that Harold Schultz, Marine Corps Cpl. René Gagnon, who the living room with him and he’d reach ting and engineering services during con- weren’t thinking a Marine, was in the was believed to be in the picture, was over and shut the tape recorder off,” Maurer struction for the Elvira wastewater systems about photos. As photo. Bradley was project. brought to Washington, D.C., to provide said. not. The board in January directed identifications. He named Navy corpsman they were watching “Then we’d have this test of wills. I would Environmental Services Director Shane John Bradley, along with Marines Michael their friends’ brains Three years later, be like, ‘I’m just going to wait you out and McClintock to continue negotiating with Strank, Franklin Sousley, Hank Hansen and blown away, they following an exhaus- eventually you’ll get sick and turn it back French Reneker on engineering services — reluctantly — Ira Hayes, who had threat- weren’t aware that tive, multi-agency on again.’ He’d look at me with this grin on during construction. McClintock said repre- ened to beat up Gagnon if he told anybody photos were being investigation, Keller his face, like ‘Oh, I can wait you out.’ So sentatives of French Reneker indicated they about his involvement. looked at back in was identified and we’d sit there a while. And finally then the need verbal confirmation from the board in Rosenthal’s picture became the blueprint the United States. Gagnon removed. little high school junior was kinda like ‘OK’ order to proceed. for the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial – “My father led a and then I’d get up and leave.” — John Bradley “I think that we were just concerned that dedicated in 1954 in Arlington, Virginia. happy life and had Maurer considers the flag-raising to be a the cost of section D (engineering services But only three of the original Marines eight kids,” Bradley small part of her father’s war experience, during construction) were a little ambigu- named – Strank, Sousley and Hayes — said. “The flag- rais- which included fighting at Bougainville ous and not identified,” Srp said. actually were in the photo. The other three ing wasn’t part of his identity. But there are Island, Guadalcanal, Midway and Iwo Jima. Van Lancker said he is “not crazy” with were misidentified. other families whose fathers and grandfa- “My thoughts always go toward not the verbal confirmation to proceed with each Why this happened is still not fully under- thers have died and are just being told now, flag-raising but the fact that he not only sur- section. stood. ‘Oops, we made a mistake. That was your vived those battles, but that he came home Srp said he had no issue with being “It’s not explicit, but, as we were going dad in this photo.