Henry Oliver Hansen
Encyclopedia
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.
, with one sister and three brothers. He graduated from Somerville High School
in 1938. He joined the Marines at age 18 and trained as a paramarine.
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 Congress
ional 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.
Sgt Henry Hansen is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
near Honolulu on the island of Oahu
in Hawaii
. The Henry O. Hansen Memorial Park, in his home town of Somerville
, was named in his honor in June 2004.
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
.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He took part in the first flag raising over Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, 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 Somerville, MassachusettsSomerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
, with one sister and three brothers. He graduated from Somerville High School
Somerville High School (Massachusetts)
Somerville High School is a public, 4-year high school in Somerville, Massachusetts. The school offers a wide selection of classes and vocational programs....
in 1938. He joined the Marines at age 18 and 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. A different group later replaced it with a larger flag, and a photograph of the second flag raisingRaising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.The photograph was extremely...
by Joe Rosenthal
Joe Rosenthal
Joseph John Rosenthal was an American photographer who received the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic World War II photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima. His picture became one of the best-known photographs of the war.-Early life:Joseph Rosenthal was born on...
became famous. Hansen was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
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
Rene Gagnon
Rene Arthur Gagnon was one of the U.S. Marines immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's famous World War II photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.-Early life:...
and John Bradley
John Bradley (Iwo Jima)
John Henry "Jack" "Doc" Bradley was a United States Navy corpsman during World War II, and one of the six men who took part in raising the Flag on Iwo Jima...
had initially identified this man as Hansen. Over a year and a half later, a Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
ional investigation revealed that the man was actually Corporal Harlon Block
Harlon Block
Harlon Henry Block was a United States Marine during World War II. Born in Texas, Block joined the Marine Corps in November 1943 and subsequently saw action during the Battle of Bougainville and the Battle of Iwo Jima where he was killed in action...
and not Hansen. Fellow paramarine Ira Hayes
Ira Hayes
Ira Hamilton Hayes was a Pima Native American and an American Marine who was one of the six men immortalized in the iconic photograph of the flag raising on Iwo Jima during World War II. Hayes was an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community in Sacaton, Arizona, and enlisted in the Marine...
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.
Sgt Henry Hansen is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a cemetery located in Honolulu, Hawaii that serves a memorial to those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces...
near Honolulu on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The Henry O. Hansen Memorial Park, in his home town of Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
, was named in his honor in June 2004.
Portrayal in film
Hank Hansen is featured in the 2006 Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
movie Flags of Our Fathers
Flags of Our Fathers (film)
is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were involved...
, where he is played by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor Paul Walker
Paul Walker
Paul William Walker IV is an American actor. He became well known in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues. He is also known for starring in the surprise summer hit The Fast and the Furious. His other films include Joy Ride, Running Scared, Into the Blue and Eight Below...
. The movie is based on the book of the same title
Flags of Our Fathers
Flags of Our Fathers is a New York Times bestselling book by James Bradley with Ron Powers about the five United States Marines and one United States Navy Corpsman who would eventually be made famous by Joe Rosenthal's lauded photograph of the flag raising at Iwo Jima, one of the costliest and...
.
See also
- Shadow of Suribachi: Raising The Flags on Iwo JimaShadow of Suribachi: Raising the Flags on Iwo JimaShadow of Suribachi: Raising The Flags on Iwo Jima is a book by Parker Bishop Albee, Jr. and Keller Cushing Freeman which mainly examines the controversy over the identification of the Marine at the base of the flagpole in Joe Rosenthal's Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima photograph.-Overview:Though...
- Flags of Our FathersFlags of Our FathersFlags of Our Fathers is a New York Times bestselling book by James Bradley with Ron Powers about the five United States Marines and one United States Navy Corpsman who would eventually be made famous by Joe Rosenthal's lauded photograph of the flag raising at Iwo Jima, one of the costliest and...