Ira Hayes

Biography

Ira Hayes, a Marine who proudly represented his Pima Nation, became a powerful symbol of courage when he helped raise the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. That moment captured the tenacity of all who served, even as he carried a quiet burden of trauma far from his desert home.

He spent his postwar years honoring fellow veterans and advocating for Native American servicemembers, reminding the nation that gratitude must be matched by care for those who fought in its name.