Toast To Ira Hayes

January 24, is the anniversary of the Death of Ira Hayes. DO Toast a Beer, between now and Jan 24 to Ira Hayes, and then tell the story, never let them forget the sacrifices that he and all veterans made/make.

IRA H. HAYES. The Fifth Amphibious Corps of Marines, commanded by Major General Harry Schmidt, was assigned to take Iwo Jima. Corporal Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian, was one of the Marines immortalized in the now famous photograph taken of the second flag raising incident on Mount Suribachi, shortly after the Japanese stronghold was taken on 23 February, 1945.

Ira Hayes was a Pima Indian who enlisted in the United States Marine Corps early in World War II. He gained fame in the Pacific campaign when he, along with fellow American soldiers, raised the US flag over Iwo Jima while the battle still raged for that island fortress. The act of raising the flag was captured by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal and became the image on the biggest- selling American postage stamp of all time.

Following the war, unable to cope with his new-found fame, Ira Hayes turned to alcohol. Unable to keep a steady job, he was working as a cotton-picker on an Arizona Indian Reservation when he was found dead from alcohol and exposure on January 24, 1955. He now lies in Section 34 of Arlington National Cemetery.F

The Ballad Of Ira Hayes

This was played during the rehearsals with Bob Dylan but never performed live.

Chorus
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer any more
Not the whiskey drinking Indian
Or the Marine that went to war

Gather around me, people
There's a story I would tell
About a brave young Indian
You should remember well

From the land of the Pima Indians
A proud and noble band
Who farmed the Phoenix Valley
In Arizona land

Down the ditches for a thousand years
The waters grew Ira's people's crops
Till the white man stole their water rights
And the sparkling 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]

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

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

[Chorus]

Ira Hayes 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 home, no chance
At home, nobody cared what Ira'd done
And when did the Indians dance?

[Chorus]

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

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

[Chorus]

Well Ira returned a hero
He was wined and dined and [rich]
They let him raise the flag and lower down
Like you'd throw a dog a bone

He died drunk, early one morning
In the land he'd fought to save
Two inches of water in a lonely ditch
Was a grave for Ira Hayes
xxxxxx -30- xxxxxx

My father was with the marines on Iwo Jima, he survived, and never spoke of it, until late in his life, after some prodding by me, then a Major. I heard this ballad sung at a Stand-Down in Chicago, in around 1994, by a guy from Ark, John Spears, I believe. Some Native americans take exception to the "Drunken Indian" part of the song, and perhaps rightly so, because of the stereotyping. But it is the story of far too many Veterans, especially combat veterans. The numerous, untimely deaths, due to poor health (Poor Health care), suicides, low standards of living, etc. There but for the grace of God, go you and I, and I am not sure about the I part. Time will tell. If you don't look out for each other, who will. Never encourage your Buddy, to come on, just have one more.

BUT DO Toast a Beer, between now and Jan 24 to Ira Hayes, and then tell the story, never let them forget the sacrifices that he and all veterans made/make.

Next time you are in Arizona, visit the small tribute to Ira Hayes, at the native American museum, near the Interstate, just south of Pheonix.

Thanks....Colonel Dan

Go to "Veteran Issues" by Colonel Dan

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Return-Path: <DANCOLONEL@aol.com>
From: <DANCOLONEL@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 11:46:15 EST
To: vets@raex.com
Subject: Toast Ira hayes