Voting Station

Michael Strank

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Military Personnel

The Resume

    (November 10, 1919-March 1, 1945)
    Born in Jarabina, Slovak Republic
    US Marine Sargeant
    Participant in the raising of the flag on Mt. Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima (February 23, 1945)
    Killed in action six days later

Why he might be annoying:

    During a furlough before Iwo Jima, he fatalistically told family and friends that he would not be coming home.
    His comment on the flag raising: 'Colonel Johnson wants this big flag run up high so every son of a bitch on this whole cruddy island can see it.'
    He was killed by friendly fire, hit by a shell fired by an American ship.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He spoke only Slovak when he entered the first grade, but learned English so quickly that he was able to skip second grade.
    He had a photographic memory.
    The men who served under him described him as 'a Marine's Marine' and 'the kind of Marine you read about, the kind they make movies about.'
    Three weeks before Iwo Jima, he was offered a promotion, but turned it down, saying 'I trained those boys and I'm going to be with them in battle.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 12 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 11 Votes: 27.27% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 39 Votes: 23.08% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 26 Votes: 46.15% Annoying