When you view the famous photo of the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima, Ira Hayes is the one who had just released the flag pole and it looks as though he is reaching for the flag.

It was about 1951 and I was living on the Whiteriver Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona. Ira had come from his home on the Pima Indian Reservation in Sacaton, Arizona, to visit friends living in Whiteriver. Some of Ira's friends attended my dad's church so dad invited Ira to speak in the Sunday morning service.

At the front of the auditorium on one side of the pulpit was an American flag. On the other side of the pulpit was a church denomination flag.

On each side of the auditorium was a small prayer room. On the right side was the Men's Prayer Room, and on the left side was the Ladies Prayer Room.

For the morning service, dad placed the base for the American Flag down in front of the church pews. Beside the flag base, was an easel and a board with newspaper clippings and photos of Ira and the other Marines who Ira had served with and some photos of the flag raising at Iwo Jima. Dad then placed the American flag and the flag pole in the Men's Prayer Room.

As dad was introducing Ira, Ira wearing his full uniform, came marching out of the men's prayer room carying the flag pole and flag as dad played "God Bless America" on the church piano. Ira marched to the front of the auditorium, raised the flag and placed it into the base. He then walked up to pulpit and talked to the congregation.

Ira seemed to be a humble man and his eyes teared up as he stated that he was not a hero. He said that the friends he served with, who did not come home, were the real heros. He became very emotional and only spoke for a few minutes, but even though I was very young, and he stressed that he was not a hero, I knew that he acted like a real hero.

It was only three or four years later that his friends told my dad that Ira had passed away. Ira was a hero, but I don't think he was ever able to understand that even though he did not think of himself as an American hero, America did.