Marine (1925 - 1979)

In the wrong place at the right time, Manchester's Rene Gagnon was among 110,000 Marines who arrived in 880 ships in the costly World War II battle at Iwo Jima, Japan. With five fellow Marines, he raised the flag of victory. Captured on film and designed into a massive bronze sculpture, the scene has become one of the most memorable in the nation's history.

Gagnon was the youngest of the six flag-raisers and - with John Bradley and Ira Hayes - one of three survivors. Gagnon posed for his likeness in the famous Washington, DC memorial, and played himself in two Iwo Jima films, one starring John Wayne. It was Gagnon who carried the flag up Mt. Suribachi after the famous moment was recorded. A modest man by all accounts, Gagnon is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. He and the other five flag-raisers are the subject of the book "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley, son of one of the survivors.

A real NH war hero, this Marine
raised the famous Iwo Jima flag

More Famous NH People 

RENE GAGNON LINKS

BIOGRAPHY

Honoring My Dad
An homage from Rene Gagnon, Jr. to his father

Flag Raisers Bios

Rene Arthur Gagnon, Corporal, United States Marine Corps  

IWO JIMA HISTORY

IwoJima.com
An amazingly complete site, appears to be by author James Bradley

Iwo Jima Today
The Bradley family returns to the site of battle

Historical Facts and Figures

The First and Second Flag Raisings

First and Second Flag Raising
Same pictures, but more info

Iwo Jima Personal History Page

USS Enterprise History Page

The First Battalion of the 28th Marines on Iwo Jima

The USS Iwo Jima Association

BOOKS & MOVIES

"Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley
The NY Times bestseller by the son of a survivor that traces the stories of all the flag raisers in the famous photo. This is the author's web site.

The Film: "To the Shores of Iwo Jima"
Short documentary in which surviving flag raisers play themselves

The Film "Sands of Iwo Jima"
1949 classic film starring John Wayne. Gagnon played himself.

The Film "The Outsider"
1961 movie starring Tony Curtis as flag-raiser Ira Hayes

Rene Gagnon, Actor
Listed in film database for twice playing himself in films above

Iwo Jima 55th Reunion Videotape

Online Iwo Jima Videos

Iwo Jima Books & Videos Online

PHOTOS
(from IwoJima.com )

Flag Raising

Survivors Raising Flag for 1.4 Million Spectators

The Survivors in 1949 with Gagnon

Gagnon with Sculptor Felix DeWeldon

Gagnon in Later Years

3 Cent and 43 Cent Iwo Jima US Postage Stamp

HISTORIC SITES TO VISIT

Grave of Rene Gagnon at Arlington Cemetery

U.S.M.C. War Memorial, Washington DC
Official page of the National Park Service, George Washington Memorial Parkway

Flag Raising Statue, Arlington Guide

The Boys at Iwo Jima
Typical of many home-made patriotic web pages on the statue

Visit Iwo Jima Memorial
Another private fan site

National Iwo Jima Memorial
Raised in Newington, CT by the Iwo Jima Survivors Assoc. in memory of 6,821 fallen comrades, sculpted by Joseph Petrovics

Wright Museum, Wolfeboro , NH
Has Rene Gagnon Room, but site not operational

Arlington Cemetery (Official Web Site)
Where Renee Gagnon is buried

Arlington National Cemetery (Private Web Site)

Friends of Iwo Jima Air Force Memorial

MARINE CORP LINKS

Headquarters US Marine Corps

Marine Corps History Division Online

Marine Corps Legacy Museum

Marine Corps Links

Art's Iwo Jima Flag History Web Page

The Few: Marines Online Guestbook

The Marine Corps Wives Web Site

More Famous NH People 

Copyright © 2001 Ideaworks Productions
Copyright © 2001 SeacoastNH.com. All rights reserved