(LEX 18) — February 23rd marked the 75th anniversary of the assault on Iwo Jima during World War II.
On that day in 1945, an iconic photo was taken, to this day it embodies the freedom hundreds of thousands of American's have died for.
Six Marines are pictured raising the American flag, and one of them was born and raised in Fleming County, Kentucky. His name was Franklin Sousley and his nephew says he was only 19-years-old at the time the photo was taken and died only a few weeks later in 1945.
Price says his uncle is the second in from the back in the picture, "it's just a great to know when I look at that picture, it's my kinfolk who are in it pictured."
Although Sousley never made it back home, his body was laid to rest in his hometown of Elizaville, KY, "he loved farming, his dreams were to be a tobacco and dairy farmer here in Fleming County, but he was killed over there," says Price.
Every year on this date people gather at Sousley's grave to remember his and all veteran's sacrifices for our country. In attendance was Congressman Andy Barr who said this of Sousley's legacy, "these heroes did not die in vain, their sacrifice, the sacrifice of Franklin Sousley continues to advance America and American's freedoms to this day."
