[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2409]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING WORLD WAR II ICON PRIVATE FIRST CLASS FRANKLIN R. SOUSLEY

  (Mr. BARR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a World War II icon, 
U.S. Marine Private First Class Franklin R. Sousley, of Fleming County, 
Kentucky.
  A graduate of Fleming County High School, Sousley chose to enlist in 
the Marine Corps where he was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, as 
a rifleman.
  Private First Class Sousley landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. 
During the intense fighting, American forces secured Mount Suribachi. 
Shortly thereafter, Sousley, alongside five other fellow 
servicemembers, raised a large U.S. flag, so it could be seen over the 
island.
  An iconic photograph taken during this raising of the U.S. flag led 
to an immortalized symbol of the American bravery, perseverance, and 
sacrifice endured by members of the U.S. Armed Forces during the 
intense battles of World War II.
  Sadly, soon after this photograph was taken, Sousley was killed in 
combat by a Japanese sniper. His remains were laid to rest in the 
Elizaville Cemetery in Fleming County, Kentucky, in my district.
  Private First Class Sousley paid the ultimate sacrifice defending 
freedom for generations; however, his memory lives on in the timeless 
photograph in the image depicted in the Iwo Jima Memorial outside of 
Washington, D.C., and through the gratitude of all Americans.

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