Henry Oliver Hansen

Infobox Military Person
name= Henry O. Hansen
born= birth date|1919|12|14
died= death date and age|1945|3|1|1919|12|14
placeofbirth= Boston, Massachusetts
placeofdeath= Iwo Jima
placeofburial=


caption=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Marine Corps
serviceyears= 1938-1945
rank= Sergeant
commands=
unit= 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines
battles= World War II *Battle of Iwo Jima
awards=
laterwork=

Henry Oliver ("Hank") Hansen (December 14 1919 - March 1 1945) was a United States Marine in World War II. He took part in the first flag raising over Iwo Jima, and was for a time mistakenly identified as one of the six men in the famous photograph of the second flag raising.

Early life

Hansen was born in Boston, Massachusetts, with one sister and three brothers. He graduated from Somerville High School in 1938. He joined the Marines at age 18 and was trained as a Paramarine.

Iwo Jima

By now a sergeant, Hansen was one of six servicemen who raised the first American flag on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, and were photographed by Lou Lowery. [ [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6350/flag1.htm The First Flag-Raising On Iwo Jima] .] A different group later replaced it with a larger flag, and a photograph of the second flag raising by Joe Rosenthal became famous. Hansen was killed in action seven days later.

After the battle, there was disagreement over the identity of the man at the base of the flagpole in the famous photograph of the second flag-raising. Rene Gagnon and John Bradley had initially identified this man as Hansen. Over a year and a half later, a Congressional investigation revealed that the man was actually Corporal Harlon Block and not Hansen. Fellow Paramarine Ira Hayes was instrumental in proving Block's presence in the famous photo. In fact, Hayes had told Marine officials that the sixth flag raiser was Block, but as the Marines had already made announcements that Hansen had been identified, the enlisted men were told to say nothing. [Bradley, James. "Flags of Our Fathers". p.417]

Sgt Henry Hansen is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific near Honolulu on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. [ [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6789302 Photo and grave] from findagrave.com.] The Henry O. Hansen Memorial Park, in his home town of Somerville, was named in his honor in June 2004. [ [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/06/15/somerville_park_named_for_iwo_jima_flag_raiser/ Somerville park named for Iwo Jima flag-raiser] , "The Boston Globe", June 15, 2004.]

Portrayal in film

Hank Hansen is featured in the 2006 Clint Eastwood movie "Flags of Our Fathers", where he is played by American actor Paul Walker. The movie is based on the book of the same title.

ee also

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References