Michael Strank is an American soldier of Ukrainian origin, a symbol of the US victory in World War II. He was born on November 10, 1919 in Oryabyn (Pryashiv region), emigrated to the United States in the 1920s; his father worked in the mines of Pennsylvania. After school (1937), he served in the Civilian Environmental Protection Corps, working on highways. In October 1939, he joined the Marine Corps; participated in battles on the Russell and Bougainville Islands (1942–1944). The commander of the detachment during the Battle of Iwo Jima landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 and raised a large flag on Mount Suribachi - a photo by Joe Rosenthal "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" became an icon of the war. By the end of March, three of the six, including Strank, were dead (March 1, 1945). Buried in Arlington; Marine Corps Memorial based on photo. Awards: Bronze Star (V), Purple Heart, Presidential Citation, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal. Played by Barry Pepper in the film Flags of Our Fathers. In Ukraine: mini-sculpture in Uzhgorod (2015), sculpture in the Museum of the Formation