World War II Honoree

Henry O. 'Hank' Hansen

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Boston, Massachusetts

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Sergeant. On June 28, 1938, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps at Boston, Massachusetts. His boot camp training took place with the Fourth Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base at Parris Island, South Carolina. Later he completed his Marine Combat Training at Camp Geiger, North Carolina. Served as a Squad Leader with the Fifth Marine Division in the Western Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to Third Platoon Easy Company, Second Battalion and Twenty-Eighth Marine Regiment. His division participated in the amphibious assault against the Imperial Japanese Army and Naval forces on the Volcanic Island of Iwo Jima (Battle Dates: February 19-March 26, 1945) Code Name: Operation Detachment. He was one of the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman, who assisted in raising the first United States Flag ‘Old Glory’ on Mount Suribachi February 23, 1945. Killed in Action Thursday, March 1, 1945 and buried in the Fifth Marine Division battlefield cemetery on Iwo. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the family of this Marine requested that his remains be transferred to Honolulu. He was laid to rest February 24, 1949 in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, ‘Punchbowl’ Hawaii. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.