Foreign Ministry: Michal Strenk's Legacy Still Relevant Today

Bratislava, 11 July (TASR) - The legacy of Michal Strenk (Mykhal Strenk in Ruthenian or Michael Strank in English), a native of the Ruthenian village of Jarabina in eastern Slovakia who served in the US Army, is still relevant today, the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry stated on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the first issue of a US postage stamp depicting the raising of the US flag on the island of Iwo Jima, which features Strenk among others. "The raising of the flag on Iwo Jima wasn't just a gesture of victory, it was hope that the Allies could defeat fascist tyranny. Freedom can't be taken for granted, but it is a value for which many have had to pay the ultimate price. That's why Michal Strenk's legacy is relevant even in the current, rapidly changing times, when many fundamental values are being questioned and military conflicts aren't disappearing, but increasing," said Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD). The Slovak chief diplomat described Strenk as a Slovak hero in the American army. "The native of the Ruthenian village of Jarabina symbolically linked Slovakia and the United States of America with his life and service in the US Marine Corps," he stated. Blanar honoured his memory on Tuesday (8 July) at an event at the Palugyay Palace in Bratislava. It was attended, among others, by Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD), deputy US ambassador to Slovakia Heather Rogers, head of the Military Historical Institute Miloslav Caplovic and representatives of Strenk's native village. Michal Strenk was a United States Marine Corps sergeant, who as commander of a group of marines, helped to raise the American flag during the fighting on Mount Suribachi on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima on 23 February 1945. He was killed in action on Iwo Jima on 1 March 1945. am/df