News that father wasn't an Iwo Jima flag raiser was 'a kick in the teeth' for Rene Gagnon Jr.
All his life, Rene Gagnon has told his children and grandchildren about their proud family heritage: His father and namesake, Rene Gagnon Sr., was one of the U.S. Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima in what has become an iconic image of American triumph. A few days ago, Gagnon learned that his father was not one of those men.