"From Butte to Iwo Jima" is dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Russell Mitchell, who gave his life for his country in Iwo Jima at the age of 23. He is missed, honored and remembered very fondly by his fellow Marines and friends of The Forgotten Battalion .
It took 20 years to find out that an Iron Mountain, Michigan, war hero played a part in the Iwo Jima event......
Marine Sgt. Russell Mitchell, of Iron Mountain, Michigan, had the flag that flew over
Iwo Jima, on Feb. 20, 1945. The flag flew over Iwo Jima on Feb. 23. Sgt. Mitchell never saw the flag fly....he was killed on Iwo on Feb 21, 1945. This was unknown to Sgt. Mitchell's family
until twenty years later.
The 20 year-old story came from a Marine Private, Fred Huffman, of Rochester, N.Y. who was seeking the address of Sgt. Mitchell's family in a letter to the News.
Pvt. Huffman was given the Iwo flag to hold by Sgt. Mitchell, who went back for his canteen. Sgt. Mitchell never returned.
Sgt. Mitchell was buried in the Iwo Jima cemetery, but his remains were shipped back and buried at Cemetery Park, Iron Mountain, Michigan, May 12, 1948. He was the son of Mrs. Gunnard Wickman and Charles Mitchell of Iron Mountain.
Following is the account of the article which appeared in the Times-Union newspaper at Rochester, NY, in 1965:
ROCHESTER, N.Y.
We're all familiar with the thrilling photograph of Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima's battle-scarred Mount Suribachi. The historic picture was snapped 20 years ago, on Feb. 23, 1945, by Associated Press cameraman, Joe Rosenthal.
Now we hear that a Rochester man had a unique role in events leading to that memorable moment: The flag that was raised over Iwo Jima was carried ashore just two decades ago by a Rochester man.
"MITCH HAD FLAG"
Fred R. Huffman of 163 Gregory Hill Road, was a private first-class in the Marines, a machine gunner veteran of several battles, when -- on February 20, 1945 -- he was in the bow of an LST waiting to hit the Iwo Jima beach:
"I was standing next to a friend of mine from Iron Mountain, Michigan -- a sergeant named Russ Mitchell," Huffman said. He was holding a folded American flag. He told me it was our ship's flag and it was going to be raised on Mount Suribachi. He was to give it to the beach master, a colonel, when we got ashore. While we were still standing there, waiting for the LST to hit the beach, Mitch discovered he had forgotten his canteen. He asked me to hold the flag while he got the canteen.
"Shortly after he left, we hit the beach. I waded ashore. and in a few minutes found the beach master and gave him the flag.
"Killed Two Days Before"
"Three days later, when the flag was raised, the Marines within sight of the mountain let out a cheer which probably was heard half way to Tokyo." -- But Huffman's buddy, Mitchell, didn't see the flag raising. He already had given his life on Iwo Jima two days before."
In September of '96, Bill Paull and other members of The Forgotten Battalion attended their 10th Reunion at San Diego, California. Mike Arrand, of Sterling, Michigan, brought with him a copy of a news article which had been written in 1965, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima. He shared this with Bill Paull as they remembered and toasted, Russ, their old buddy.
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