Career
James Michels was born in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, in 1918. Michels joined the United States Marine Corps during World World War World War II He took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima which began on February 19, 1945. On February 23, 1945, while serving with Company East, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, he was part of a 40-man combat patrol that climbed Mount Suribachi to help capture the summit and raise the American flag to signal the mountain was captured.
He was immortalized in SSgt.
Lou Lowery"s photograph of the first American flag raising over Iwo Jima. He returned to and lived in Riverside, Illinois after the war.
He died there on January 17, 1982.