Ira Hayes

[freethefly 6]

All to often the reality of what those returning from war must face is seldom told. They are always viewed as heros and rightfully so, although, most do not view themselves as such and feel that that honor belongs solely to the fallen. Ira Hayes was one such man who felt this way. His is a tragic story. His story is part of the new release from Clint Eastwood, The Flags of our Fathers. Very few people today have never heard of Ira Hayes, although he was immortalized in the photo of the flag raising at Iwo Jima and in the song written by Peter Lafarge (sung by Johnny Cash). I hope that more films are made to show the truth of what those returning are to face. What is trapped in their minds are always overshaddowed by what society only wants to see - chest out and head held high. The truth is is that many will withdraw and find comfort in alcohol and drugs. Ira Hayes found it in alcohol. His story is truely a tragic story.

Ira Hayes

Pima Tribe
Born -January 12, 1923 Sacaton, Arizona
Died - January 24, 1955 Bapchule, Arizona
Buried in Arlington National Cemetery

There are probably no more tragic stories than that of Ira Hayes. Born on the Pima Indian Reservation in Sacaton, Arizona, Ira was the son of a poor farming family. His people had struggled for years to make a living in the arid conditions of the Reservation and had little success beyond survival. At one time the Pima were successful farmers but that was before the US Government cut off their water supply and created a situation where they could no longer grow enough crops to eat.

Until the beginning of W.W.II, his life was probably unnoticed by anyone more than a few miles from his birthplace. When America called its men to arms Ira answered this call and joined the US Marine Corps for several reasons: He would be able to leave the Reservation, eat regularly and send money home to his family to help them have a better life. His Tribal Chief told him to be an Honorable Warrior and to bring honor upon his people. Ira never failed to do this. He was a dedicated Marine who was admired by his peers who fought alongside him in three major battles in the Pacific.

February 23, 1945, at age 23, an event occurred that would forever place Ira Hayes in this nation's history books and irrevocably change his life. On a hilltop above a Pacific island, a small group of Marines struggled to raise the American flag to claim victory over the Japanese occupancy. As the flag was being raised, Ira rushed to help his comrades just as the photographer snapped what was to become one of the most famous pictures in history. That picture was the "Flag Raising At Iwo Jima" and it is Ira's hands that are outstretched to give the final thrust that planted this symbol of American victory. Six men were caught in that photograph, three of them died shortly afterwards. The battle of Iwo Jima was a costly one for our troops. Only 5 of Ira's platoon of 45 survived and of his company of 250, only 27 escaped death or injury.

Ira Hayes was stunned when he was told that President Truman wanted him and the other survivors to return to the United State to join the 7th Bond Tour to help raise money for the war efforts. He never considered himself a hero and often said the real heroes were "my good buddies" who died during the battles. What was supposed to be an easy tour of duty turned into the worst ordeal of Ira's military life. He never understood why he was called an American hero and struggled with the adulation that was heaped on him everywhere he went. Over and over he made statements that he was not a hero but reminded everyone of the brave men who had died and deserved this honor.

By the time Ira was released from duty he was hopelessly addicted to alcohol. The Bond Tour had been a battle that had taken more of a toll on him than any he fought in the Pacific. It seemed that this nation found one way to honor its heroes: Buy them a drink! Ira went back to the Reservation to escape the unwanted attention he'd be forced to bear but people did not stop writing and coming to see "the Indian who raised the flag." Ira's only escape from the conflict he felt over being viewed as a hero was the bottle. Over and over he made statements like; "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." After a ceremony where he was praised by President Eisenhower once again for being a hero, a reporter asked Ira, "How do you like the pomp & circumstances?" Ira just hung his head and said, "I don't."

For the next few years Ira Hayes was a drifter, drinker and loner. He never married, was often arrested for public drunkenness and was filled with despair over the plight of his people. He had been wined and dined by the rich and powerful, had been immortalized in American history but he was still no more than an Indian on a dried up Reservation now that he'd come home. There was still no water, no crops and no hope for a better life for the Pima or him. All this time he still struggled with his own inability to reconcile himself as being worthy of the fame he'd received for simply being one of the lucky ones who lived through such a horrible war. Ira never saw his military service as any more than just being an "Honorable Warrior."

In 1954, Ira Hayes attended the dedication ceremony in Washington, D. C. for the Iwo Jima Memorial. This monument was a bronze cast replica of the now famous photograph of the flag raising, created by Felix DeWeldon. Within 10 weeks of this celebration Ira Hamilton Hayes would be dead at age 33. After another night of drinking and still lamenting over his fallen "buddies", Ira fell drunk in an irrigation ditch and froze to death, alone and forgotten by a country that had called him a hero. The ditch where he died was the single source of water that was provided for his people by the same government he'd proudly served.

Copyright©1997 by Spirit Voices

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[AggieDave 6]

Johnny Cash did a fairly good job of capturing that history and spreading it through song.



The Ballad of Ira Hayes
by Johnny Cash

Ira Hayes,
Ira Hayes

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Gather round me people there's a story I would tell
About a brave young Indian you should remember well
From the land of the Pima Indian
A proud and noble band
Who farmed the Phoenix valley in Arizona land

Down the ditches for a thousand years
The water grew Ira's peoples' crops
'Till the white man stole the water rights
And the sparklin' water stopped

Now Ira's folks were hungry
And their land grew crops of weeds
When war came, Ira volunteered
And forgot the white man's greed

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

There they battled up Iwo Jima's hill,
Two hundred and fifty men
But only twenty-seven lived to walk back down again

And when the fight was over
And when Old Glory raised
Among the men who held it high
Was the Indian, Ira Hayes

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Ira returned a hero
Celebrated through the land
He was wined and speeched and honored; Everybody shook his hand

But he was just a Pima Indian
No water, no crops, no chance
At home nobody cared what Ira'd done
And when did the Indians dance

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Then Ira started drinkin' hard;
Jail was often his home
They'd let him raise the flag and lower it
like you'd throw a dog a bone!

He died drunk one mornin'
Alone in the land he fought to save
Two inches of water in a lonely ditch
Was a grave for Ira Hayes

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes
But his land is just as dry
And his ghost is lyin' thirsty
In the ditch where Ira died

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[freethefly 6]

The song was actually written by Peter LaFarge but, only Johnny Cash could sang it with such real feeling. Some people felt that the song was an insult. I think it tells a real story.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

The song was actually written by Peter LaFarge but, only Johnny Cash could sang it with such real feeling.

Didn't know that.

Quote

Some people felt that the song was an insult. I think it tells a real story.

I would agree with you.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Quote

The song was actually written by Peter LaFarge but, only Johnny Cash could sang it with such real feeling. Some people felt that the song was an insult. I think it tells a real story.

Listen to Bob Dylan's version. It's more of a spoken word style. No disrespect to Cash or his version but the lamenting whine of Dylan with the gospel singers keening in the background will bring tears to your eyes.

[freethefly 6]

Got quite a few Dylan albums (all vinyl and I still have my Pioneer turntable!) but, I don't have his version so, if anyone is interested here's the link to Dylans version. You're right, it is excellent
http://bobdylan.com/songs/irahayes.html

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[jumper03 0]

Another story about Ira Hayes is of a trip he took not too long before his death. There was some controversy over who the Marine holding the base of the flag pole was. Turns out it was Cpl. Harlon Block of Southeast Texas (I forget the town). Ira walked from Arizona to S.E. Texas to tell Harlon's mother it was him holding the flag (which was contrary to the public version of the event at the time). After telling her, he walked back to Arizona.

Semper Fi

Scars remind us that the past is real

[rickjump1 0]

Quote

Another story about Ira Hayes is of a trip he took not too long before his death. There was some controversy over who the Marine holding the base of the flag pole was. Turns out it was Cpl. Harlon Block of Southeast Texas (I forget the town). Ira walked from Arizona to S.E. Texas to tell Harlon's mother it was him holding the flag (which was contrary to the public version of the event at the time). After telling her, he walked back to Arizona.

Semper Fi

Ira never wanted the fame attached to that picture. All he wanted was to stay in his unit and fight because, for the first time in his life, he had white friends who depended on him and he depended on them. He was finally kicked off the bond tour and did return to his unit until the end of the war a short time later. Ira was a Marine paratrooper before Iwo, but I believe his unit was dispanded. Harlon Block's mom always knew that was her son in the picture. She claimed she could "reccognize that butt anywhere" because of the number of diapers she had changed. She was right. "Flags of Our Father" is a great book to be read and donated to your local high school.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[Royd 0]

That song gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. Has since I was a child.