Bicentennial 2 Traditional Geocache
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(micro)
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One of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima grew up here, close to the city of Johnstown. Parking in this area is limited. This is Featured Cache #4 of the Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Geotrail A map and list of all caches featured in the Geotrail can be found at this link or they can be bulk downloaded from the bookmark list
On February 23, 1945 on the small Island of Iwo Jima, in the Pacific Ocean, American troops fought a long and hard battle to secure this island. Once the island was secure it would make an important refueling stop for the pilots who would bomb Japan. Although many American lives were lost in this battle, it was a success and to show the victory, 6 soldiers, 5 being Marines and one being a Navy medical corpsman, scaled the highest point on the island, Mt. Surbachi, and planted a large American flag. An Associated Press reporter captured this incident on film and it became a national symbol of bravery and heroism. The picture went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for photography in 1945, and was the inspiration behind the USMC Memorial Statue in Washington D.C.Unfortunately, a few days after this symbolic event, Sgt. Michael Strank was fatally wounded and buried on Iwo Jima. Strank, one of the marines, was born in Czechoslovakia and grew up in Conemaugh, PA. Five years after his death, Strank was reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery. In honor of Cambria County's Bicentennial celebration we are honored to have placed a geocache near Sgt. Michael Strank’s marker.In the vicinity of Shrank’s marker, please be sure to look at another historic site. The Franklin School had fallen into disrepair and had to be razed. Originally built in 1903 and deserted in 1979, the school had an abundance of history. Past graduates of the school, eager for a memento, purchased bricks that the local fire department was selling from the old school. The Franklin High School Alumni Association had a permanent memorial to the Franklin School erected. This memorial is constructed entirely from original materials from the old school. Limited parking is available to the left of this geocache area.Coordinates were collected in NAD 83 This is Featured Cache #4 of the Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Geotrail, which highlights the scenic and historic amenities of the area. Be sure to collect and record the Geotrail Code Word from in (or near, in the case of micros) the cache to your official Geotrail Passport, which can be obtained from the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. A map and list of all caches featured in the Geotrail can be found at this this link or they can be bulk downloaded from the bookmark list.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Nyhzav, irgrenaf naq sverzra pbairetr arne rnpu bgure ng guvf bar fcbg.