Fico Pays Tribute to Slovak-born Marine Sergeant Strenk

Washington, February 21 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on Friday paid tribute to Michal Strenk (Mykhal Strenk in Ruthenian or Michael Strank in English), a native of the Ruthenian village of Jarabina in eastern Slovakia, who, as commander of a group of marines, raised the American flag during the fighting on Mount Suribachi on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima in February 1945, TASR has learnt from the premier's post on social media on Friday. In front of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Fico thanked American soldiers for their part in defeating fascism. "Almost exactly 80 years ago, on February 23, 1945, the iconic photograph of the raising of the American flag on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima was taken. The photograph also shows a Slovak, Michal Strenk, who commanded the marines tasked with raising the flag as a sign of victory," wrote Fico, adding that Sergeant Strenk was killed in action on March 1, 1945. As Fico said, he paid his respects to Strenk in front of the memorial in Arlington, which was created on the basis of the above-mentioned photograph. The premier also stated that we must not forget that the greatest sacrifices in the defeat of Nazi Germany were, in his opinion, made by the peoples of the former Soviet Union and the soldiers of the Red Army. "The most beautiful celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism would be an end to the senseless killing of Russians and Ukrainians in Ukraine," added Fico. am/mcs