Indigenous American United States Marine (1923–1955)
Ira Hayes
Marine Corps recruit photo of Hayes in 1942
Birth name
Ira Hamilton Hayes
Nickname(s)
"Chief Falling Cloud",[1][2] "Chief"[3]
Born
(1923-01-12)January 12, 1923 Sacaton, Arizona, U.S.
Died
January 24, 1955(1955-01-24) (aged 32) Bapchule, Arizona, U.S.
Buried
Section 34, Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance
United States
Service/branch
United States Marine Corps
Years of service
1941–1945
Rank
Corporal
Unit
3rd Parachute Battalion
2nd Battalion, 28th Marines
1st Headquarters Battalion, HQMC
Battles/wars
World War II
Vella Lavella
Bougainville Campaign
Consolidation of the Northern Solomons
Battle of Iwo Jima
Awards
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V"
Combat Action Ribbon
Ira Hamilton Hayes (January 12, 1923 – January 24, 1955) was an Akimel O'odham Indigenous American and a United States Marine during World War II. Hayes was an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, located in Pinal and Maricopa counties in Arizona. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on August 26, 1942, and, after recruit training, volunteered to become a Paramarine. He fought in the Bougainville and Iwo Jima campaigns in the Pacific War.
Hayes was generally known as one of the six men who appeared in the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by photographer Joe Rosenthal.[4][5] The first flag raised over Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945 at the south end of Iwo Jima, was deemed too small and replaced the same day by a larger flag. A photo of the second flag-raising, which included Hayes in it, became famous and was widely reproduced. After the battle, Hayes and two other men were identified as surviving second flag-raisers and were reassigned to help raise funds for the Seventh War Loan drive. In 1946, after his service in the Marine Corps, he was instrumental in revealing the correct identity of one of the Marines in the photograph.
After the war, Hayes suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and descended into alcoholism. On November 10, 1954, he attended the dedication of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, which was modeled after the photograph of Hayes and five other Marines raising the second flag on Iwo Jima. After a night of heavy drinking on January 23–24, 1955, he died of exposure to cold and alcohol poisoning. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on February 2, 1955.
Hayes was commemorated in art and film, before and after his death. In 1949, he portrayed himself raising the flag in the movie Sands of Iwo Jima, starring John Wayne. He was the subject of an article by journalist William Bradford Huie, which was adapted for the feature film The Outsider (1961), starring Tony Curtis as Hayes. The movie inspired songwriter Peter La Farge to write "The Ballad of Ira Hayes," which became popular nationwide in 1964 after being recorded by Johnny Cash. In 2006, Hayes was portrayed by Adam Beach in the World War II movie Flags of Our Fathers, directed by Clint Eastwood.
^Bradley & Powers 2006, p. 78
^"Chief Falling Cloud". Archived from the original on 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
^Ira Hayes, Pima Marine, by Albert Hemingway, 1988, ISBN 0819171700.
^Ó'Riain, Seán (2006-09-01). "An Irishman's Diary". The Irish Times.
^"Corporal Ira Hamilton Hayes, USMCR". Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2006-09-01.
Ira Hamilton Hayes (January 12, 1923 – January 24, 1955) was an Akimel O'odham Indigenous American and a United States Marine during World War II. Hayes...
"The Ballad of IraHayes" is a song written by folk singer Peter La Farge. Its words tell the story of IraHayes, one of the six marines who became famous...
activism. The album's single, "The Ballad of IraHayes" was generally not played by commercial radio. (IraHayes was a Native American who was one of the...
Walker, Texas Ranger; Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt; U.S. Marine Corporal IraHayes in Flags of Our Fathers; Private Ben Yahzee in Windtalkers; Dr. Charles...
Suribachi. Sgt. Strank chose Corporal Harlon Block, Private First Class IraHayes, and Pfc. Sousley. On the way up the four Marines took telephone communication...
the ships docked on shore. Sgt. Strank selected Cpl. Harlon Block, Pfc. IraHayes, and Pfc. Franklin Sousley. Capt. Severance also ordered Pfc. Gagnon,...
identified as a second flag-raiser), also misidentified Hansen. Marine IraHayes was the only second flag-raiser who correctly identified Corporal Harlon...
the beginning; the other five were either assigned the wrong locations (IraHayes and Franklin Sousley), or, were given the names of Marines who were not...
Shepherd, the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps. IraHayes, one of the three surviving flag raisers (Hayes, Schultz, and Keller) depicted on the monument...
Shepherd, the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps. IraHayes, one of the three surviving flag raisers (Hayes, Schultz, and Keller) depicted on the monument...
cowboy songs, and love songs. "The Ballad of IraHayes," his most famous song, is the story of IraHayes, a Pima Indian who became a hero as one of six...
Sgt. Michael Strank, Cpl. Harlon Block, Pfc. Franklin Sousley, and Pfc. IraHayes from Second Platoon, E Company, were sent to take communication wire (or...
Hill The Ballad Of Forty Dollars The Ballad Of Jesse James The Ballad of IraHayes Ballad Of Little Fauss And Big Halsy Ballad Of The Ark Ballad Of The Harp...
days after the flag-raising. Surviving flag-raiser Private First Class IraHayes, together with Private First Class Rene Gagnon and Navy hospital corpsman...
critical battles involving American troops, including Iwo Jima—the site of IraHayes' triumphant moment in the famous photograph of Raising the Flag on Iwo...
II People John Brown Jr. Thomas Claw Jack Fujimoto Harry K. Fukuhara IraHayes Satoshi Hirayama Gordon Hirabayashi Philip Johnston Robert Taylor Jones...
Williams Field in 1942. Two AT-6 Texans in flight near Luke Field in 1943. IraHayes (Pima) seen here preparing to parachute out of an aircraft in 1943, was...
school set up to train code-talkers, who were both enlisted and drafted. IraHayes was a Native American that became very well known because of WWII. He...
Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) and informally known...
Choynski (credited as Hal Fieberling) Leonard Gumley as Pvt Sid Stein IraHayes as himself raising the flag John Bradley as himself raising the flag Rene...
Captain David Roberts Episode: "Man in Orbit" 1960 NBC Sunday Showcase IraHayes Episode: "The American" 1960–1961 Wagon Train Jud Benedict / Jose Morales...
Global Information