Harlon Henry Block, marine, the first of four sons of Edward Frederick and Ada Belle Block, was born on November 6, 1924, in Yorktown, Texas. Their family moved to Weslaco TX where he attended Weslaco High School and was remembered as an outgoing student with many friends. As a natural athlete, Block led the Weslaco Panther Football Team to the Conference Championship.

He joined the US Marine Corps along with seven high school classmates on 18 February 1943.

On 23 February 1945, the fourth day of the Allied invasion at Iwo Jima, a platoon of Marines were ordered up 556-foot high Mount Suribachi to seize and occupy the top. If possible, they were to raise the battalion flag to signal the summit was secure.

Once the area was secured they found a Japanese steel pipe and attached the flag to it. This was then raised by six men: Lieutenant Harold Schrier, Platoon Sergeant Ernest Thomas, Sergeant Henry Hansen, Private Phil Ward, Navy Corpsman John Bradley, and Corporal Charles Lindberg.