Birth: Jan. 12, 1923
Sacaton
Pinal County
Arizona, USA
Death: Jan. 24, 1955
Bapchule
Pinal County
Arizona, USA

United States Marine. He was one of the Flag Raiser at Iwo Jima during World War II. A Pima Indian, he was born on the Gila River Reservation, the oldest of eight children. In August of 1942, at the age of 19, he quit school and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. On February 19, 1945 a large contingent of Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima facing a substantial army of Japanese defenders who were well dug in and camouflaged. Four of the Second World War’s bloodiest, fiercest days of combat ensued, during which the Marines took more casualties than they had in several months at Guadalcanal. On February 23, 1945, forty Marines climbed Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island, in order to raise the American Flag. A first flag was put up, which was cheered wildly by all American personnel who saw it. A larger flag was then ordered to be erected to replace the first, smaller one. Ira Hayes, Corporal Harlon Block of Texas, Sergeant Micheal Strank of Pennsylvania, Private Franklin Sousley of Kentucky, Private Rene Gagnon of New Hampshire, and Navy Corpsman John Bradley of Wisconsin then raised a much larger flag to little notice or fanfare. However, Joe Rosenthal, an Associated Press photographer, took several shots of the event, one becoming the world famous photograph of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima (Rosenthal later received the Pulitzer Prize). Strank, Harlon, and Sousley died in combat on the island. The three survivors were chosen by the Marine Corp to be visible, tangible heroes to present to the American public. John Bradley and Ira Hayes learned to resent the public displays, with Ira Hayes encountering much prejudice and racism. After the war he returned to the reservation, more introverted and enigmatic than he he’d been prior to the war. He worked at menial jobs and was arrested numerous times for drunkenness. On a cold morning in January 1955, 32 year old Hayes was found dead in a ditch a short distance from his home. The coroner found his death to be an accident contributed to by alcohol. In death he was afforded respect and accolades he rarely found in life, as his body was made to lie in State in the Arizona Capitol Building, he received the largest state funeral in Arizona history, and his body was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. He was portrayed by actor Tony Curtis in the 1961 movie, “The Outsider” and by Adam Beach in the 2006 movie “Flags of Our Fathers”.

Jeff BeckRock guitarist Jeff Beck and soul jazz singer Joss Stone are slated to perform on ‘American Idol’’s ‘Idol Gives Back’ special. Airing tonight, April 21 8:00PM ET, the special — an initiative that raises money for U.S. as well as global charities — will not only include the duo’s cover of the luring, blues rock track ‘I Put a Spell on You’ (originally written and recorded by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in 1956), but also tracks by Sir Elton John, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, The Black Eyed Peas, Annie Lennox and Mary J. Blige & the All-Star Band.

Read more about Jeff Beck and Joss Stone’s hit single, and check out the links below for more details on tonight’s ‘American Idol’ as well as other music highlights.

BOSTON — Kevin Garnett had 15 points and nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics played Miami-style defense to beat the Heat 85-76 in the opener of their playoff series Saturday night.

Trailing 44-41 at halftime, the Celtics held the Heat to 32 points in the second half. And with substitute guard Tony Allen shadowing Dwyane Wade, the Heat star scored 26 points after averaging 33.7 in three regular-season games against Boston.

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Fraud charges leveled against the investment bank Goldman, Sachs & Co. center on complex financial dealings. But for President Obama, the accusations against the iconic Wall Street institution offer a chance to revitalize a simple political narrative that he has all but lost in recent months: that he and his party are protecting ordinary Americans victimized by the economic meltdown.

Republicans have been notably successful in mounting populist attacks on the administration, even framing the pending legislation that would increase regulation of Wall Street as a recipe for perpetual bailouts by taxpayers. Now the Goldman case gives the administration a chance to send a countervailing message that government intervention is essential in the face of unregulated trading that favors well-connected insiders.

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Shiv and Let Shiv: Making Peace with 'Kick-Ass'

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SYDNEY — An Australian publisher is reprinting 7,000 cookbooks over a recipe for pasta with “salt and freshly ground black people.”

Penguin Group Australia’s head of publishing, Bob Sessions, acknowledged the proofreader should have caught the “silly mistake.”

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