Charles W. Lindberg died Sunday. Not a common household name. Yet he is a hero from a war past. A Marine, recipient of the Silver Star medal, the last survivor of the Iwo Jima flag raising. Although not of the Marines immortalized by Joe Rosenthal. Mr. Lindberg was one of six who raised the first American flag over Iwo Jima. It is a sad footnote that monthly we are losing hundreds of our heroes from WWII. A generation the likes of which we thought we would never see again. Yet, every time our country has gone to war, we have been proud to say our men and women serving are the best our great nation has. Today is no exception.

A Marine A Marine is an American Hero, when called he’s prepared to go.

A Marine gives nothing but his all, for his country he will take the fall.

When his country is in need, he is there to take the lead.

America knows she can depend, on her Marines to be there to defend.

A Marine has earned America’s respect, America owes him for giving his life to protect.

In a Marines darkest hour, a Marine will never cower.

Through war’s dark and violent wrath, Bravery will guide him to freedom’s path.

Strength and courage he defines, facing the enemy on the front lines.

To his country a Marine is loyal, valiantly fighting on enemy soil.

Through every challenge and test, a Marine proves he’s America’s best.

A Marine is dedicated and dutiful, to his country America the beautiful.

A Marine fights for the Red, White and Blue, he is America’s proud, the brave and the few.

America thanks you for the service you give, because of you in freedom we live. Dedicated to my nephew Wesley D. Swain, PFC USMC

By Jamie Badour Copyright 2006 Listed 01/04/2007

Last survivor of Iwo Jima flagraising dies in Minnesota

RICHFIELD, Minn. (AP) The last survivor of the first American flag-raising over Iwo Jima during World War Two has died. Charles Lindberg of Richfield, Minnesota, was 86. He grew up in Grand Forks.

Lindberg died yesterday at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina (ee-DYE'-nuh), according to the director of the funeral home that's handling arrangements.

Lindberg spent decades explaining that it was his patrol, not the one captured in the famous photograph by Abe Rosenthal of The Associated Press, that raised the first flag over the island. In the late morning of February 23rd, 1945, Lindberg fired his flame-thrower into enemy pillboxes at the base of Mount Suribachi and then joined five other Marines fighting their way to the top.

He was awarded the Silver Star for bravery.

After his discharge in January 1946, Lindberg went home to Grand Forks until 1951, when he moved to Richfield and became an electrician. In an interview with the A-P in 2003, Lindberg recalled two of the men found a big, long pipe there, "tied the flag to it, took it to the highest spot we could find and we raised it." The moment was captured by Sergeant Lou Lowery, a photographer from the Corps' Leatherneck magazine, but three of the six men never saw his photos. They were among the 59-hundred Marines killed on the island.

Last month, Lindberg attended groundbreaking at the site of a new veterans memorial in Richfield. Funeral arrangements are pending.