"Ira Hamilton Hayes" was a Pima people/Pima Indigenous peoples of the Americas/Native American and a United States Marine who was one of the six flag raisers immortalized in the iconic photograph of the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima/flag raising on Iwo Jima during World War II. Hayes was an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community/Gila River Pima Indian Reservation (1859 ) located in the Pinal County/Pinal and Maricopa County/Maricopa counties in Arizona. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on August 26, 1942, and after recruit training, volunteered to become a Paramarine. He fought in the Bougainville Campaign/Bougainville and Battle of Iwo Jima/Iwo Jima Military campaign/campaigns in the Pacific Theatre of Operations.

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The real heroes were my good buddies who died during the battles.

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I was sick. I guess I was about to crack up thinking about all my good buddies. They were better men than me and they're not coming back. Much less back to the White House, like me.

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I don't like the pomp & circumstances.

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No one ever complains about a speech being too short!

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I am not a hero but the brave men who died deserved this honor.

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