Ira Hayes, a young Pima Indian, enlists in the Marine Corps. At boot camp, he is shunned and mocked by everyone, aside from a Marine named Sorenson, who he befriends. They happen to be two of the six marines captured in the famous photograph of Marines raising the U.S. flag on Suribachi during the battle of Iwo Jima, but Sorenson is killed soon after. Although he is hailed as a hero, Ira's life begins to spiral out of control after the war.

Tony Curtis
as Ira Hamilton Hayes

James Franciscus
as Pvt. James B. Sorenson

Gregory Walcott
as Sgt. Kiley

Bruce Bennett
as Gen. Bridges

Vivian Nathan
as Nancy Hayes

Jeffrey Silver
as McGruder

Edmund Hashim
as Jay Morago

Paul Comi
as Sgt. Boyle

Stanley Adams
as Noomie

Wayne Heffley
as Cpl. Johnson
CinemaSerf
I never found Tony Curtis to be terribly versatile but he did have charisma, and that comes to his rescue here in what might be his best on-screen performance without the benefit of a comedy foil. Here he is "Ira Hayes" - a Native American who determines to join the US Marine Corps. Initially, he fa...