The annual memorial to Franklin Sousley, one of the men depicted in an iconic photograph from World War II, will be held in Fleming County on Sunday, March 22.
The event was originally scheduled for Feb. 22, but due to weather concerned it was cancelled.
According to Marine Corps League spokesperson Don Dixon, the new date was chosen for the event, but it is one day after Sousley was killed in action.
"We try to have the ceremony as close as possible to the date the flag was raised," Dixon said. "Sometimes, we can schedule the ceremony on the exact date. The March 22nd date still has some significance to this even since it is one day after Sousley was killed in action and the Iwo Jima island was not yet secured."
The day will begin at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Pot 1834 in Flemingsburg at noon with soup and sandwiches. At 2 p.m., the memorial program will begin and a ceremony to honor Sousley will take place at Sousley's grave site in the Elizaville Cemetery at 4 p.m.
Sousley, who was born in Hilltop on Sept. 19, 1925, graduated from Flemingsburg High School in 1943 before joining the United States Marines at the age of 18, according to Dixon.
Dixon said Sousley was one of six U.S. Marines who participated in the raising of the flag on Mount Surabachi on Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945.
Mount Surabachi was the highest point on Iwo Jima.
"Iwo Jima and Okinawa were the only two islands that still had to be taken at the time," Dixon said. "Once Iwo Jima was taken, Sousley, along with the other men, raised the flag."
Sousley was killed not long after the raising of the flag on March 21, 1945, by a Japanese sniper, according to Dixon.
He is buried in the Elizaville Cemetery. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the raising of the flag.
Dixon said he is happy to see the ceremony continuing.
"It's a very important part of our history," he said. "Each year, we want to try to pay tribute to the campaign in Iwo Jima, which was very important to the war. And, we want to pay tribute to the one local Kentuckian who was a part of that campaign."
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