Michael Strank (November 10, 1919 – March 1, 1945, born Mykhal Strenk)[a] was a United States Marine Corps sergeant who was killed in action during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

The first flag raised over Mount Suribachi at the south end of Iwo Jima was deemed too small.

His two brothers, Petro and John, and his sister Mary were born in the United States to Vasil Strenk (later, in the U.S., known as Charles Strank) and Marta Grófiková, Rusyn immigrants.

In his application for American citizenship, Vasil Strenk's father indicated the nationality of his family as Ruthenian.

He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, served for 18 months, and afterwards became a Pennsylvania state highway laborer.

He was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina.

Private First Class Strank sailed for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, arriving on January 23, 1941.

Strank moved with the 1st Marine Division to New River (North Carolina) (Camp Lejeune), which is where he was stationed when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred.

On November 1, 1943, the 2nd and 3rd Raider Battalions spearheaded the initial invasion of Bougainville by the 3rd Marine Division.

Strank, M Company, 3rd Raiders, landed on Green Beach #2 at Cape Torokina and participated in the seizure and occupation of Empress Augusta Bay (Operation Cherryblossom).

On the morning of February 23, Lieutenant Colonel Chandler W. Johnson, commander of the Second Battalion, 28th Marines, ordered E Company's executive officer, First Lieutenant Harold Schrier, to take a platoon-sized patrol up 556-foot high Mount Suribachi to seize and occupy the crest, and if possible, raise the battalion's American flag to signal the summit was secure.

E Company's commander, Captain Dave Severance, assembled a 40-man patrol for the mission from the remainder of his Third Platoon and other members from the battalion.

Ernest Thomas, Sergeant Henry Hansen,[10] and Corporal Charles Lindberg at about 10:30 a.m.[11] Seeing the raising of the national colors immediately caused loud cheers from the Marines, sailors, and Coast Guardsmen on the beaches at the southern end of Iwo Jima and from the men on the ships near the beaches.

Strank to ascend Mount Suribachi with three Marines from his rifle squad in Second Platoon and raise the replacement flag.

Rosenthal's black-and-white flag-raising picture, which appeared in newspapers on February 25, 1945, was later titled Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.

On March 26, 1945, the island was considered secure and the battle of Iwo Jima was officially ended.

On March 20, President Roosevelt ordered all the men in Rosenthal's photograph be sent to Washington D.C. after the battle was over.

Gagnon arrived alone on April 7 and was questioned at Marine Headquarters by a public information officer about the identities of the six flag raisers.

Ira Hayes as flag raisers in the photograph and they were sent for and arrived on April 19 and, they were separately questioned that day (Sgt.

[20] Sculptor Felix de Weldon was inspired to make the memorial after seeing Rosenthal's photograph of the second flag raising.

De Weldon duplicated the flag raisers images and positions on the memorial from the photograph.

[11] Ira Hayes, one of the three surviving flag-raisers depicted on the monument, was seated together with John Bradley, Rene Gagnon Mrs. Martha Strank, Ada Belle Block, and Mrs. Goldie Price (mother of Franklin Sousley).

[21] Those giving remarks at the dedication included Robert Anderson, Chairman of Day; Colonel J.W.

Moreau, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), President, Marine Corps War Memorial Foundation; General Shepherd, who presented the memorial to the American people; Felix de Weldon, sculptor; and Richard Nixon, who gave the dedication address.

Harlon Block for one followed his every instruction without question), and many men since who served with and alongside him have stated he had a way of setting them at ease, making them feel that he could help them survive the war.

Of the men photographed raising the second flag on Mount Suribachi, Strank at age 25, was the oldest, and Harold Keller and him the most experienced in combat.

In 2008, Gunnery Sergeant Matt Blais, who was a Marine security guard in the American Embassy in Slovakia, discovered that Strank was not a natural-born U.S. citizen.

Blais petitioned the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services on Strank's behalf and on July 29, 2008, Strank's youngest sister, Mary Pero, was presented with his certificate of citizenship in a ceremony at the Marine Corps War Memorial.

Strank called "Chlapec, ktorý chcel byť prezidentom" ("The boy who wanted to be a president").

In 2019, an English version of the documentary "Chlapec, ktorý chcel byť prezidentom" will be premiered in the United States under the title, "The Oath".