Ralph Ignatowski and Silverberg family: Difference between pages

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{{Notability|fiction|date=May 2007}}

[[Image:Ralph3.gif|thumb|PFC Ralph A. Ignatowski]]

{{in-universe}}

[[Private First Class]] '''Ralph Anthony Ignatowski''' (born [[April 8]], [[1926]] - died between [[March 4]] and [[March 7]], [[1945]]) was a U.S. [[Marine]] who was tortured and killed by Japanese troops during the battle of [[Iwo Jima]]. He was best friends with [[Iwo Jima]] flag raiser [[John Bradley (Iwo Jima)|John Bradley]]. He was born in [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]].

The Silverberg family is a family of renoun military strategists from [[Konami]]'s [[Suikoden]] series of games. Among the characters listed are also those who have close ties to the Silverberg family.

==Entry into the Marine Corps==

Ignatowski flunked his physical when he enlisted in the Marine Corp in 1943. However, he brought in a friend's urine in and passed the physical. He was assigned to Company E, 2d Battalion, [[28th Marines]], [[5th Marine Division]], with future Iwo Jima flag raisers [[Ira Hayes]], [[John Bradley (Iwo Jima)|John Bradley]], [[Rene Gagnon]], [[Franklin Sousley]], [[Harlon Block]], and [[Michael Strank]]. He and Bradley became best friends prior to the [[Battle of Iwo Jima]].

In the ''Suikoden III'' manga, Caesar Silverberg attributes the countless successful strategists who have emerged from the Silverberg family as a result not only of the family passing down their teachings to a subsequent generation, but also because of each tactician's own personality traits. Throughout the course of history in Suikoden, the Silverberg family have been known to be heralds of change because of their involvement in nearly all the conflicts which have occurred.

==Regimental records==

According to military records, Ignatowski was at sea aboard the [[USS Missoula]] (APA-211) on [[February 5]], [[1945]], and arrived at [[Eniwetok Atoll]], [[Marshall Islands]] on February 7. Ignatowski was at sea from February 8 to 10, and disembarked at [[Saipan]], [[Marianas Islands]], on February 11. He then boarded a [[LST-481]] and sailed to [[Iwo Jima]] from February 11 to 18. On [[February 19]], [[1945]], Ignatowski and Easy Company arrived at Iwo Jima.

Members of the Silverberg family frequently occupy the Tenki Star, the Star of Wisdom, amongst the [[108 Stars of Destiny (Suikoden)|108 Stars of Destiny]], which is the star assigned to the primary tactician of the hero or the Chikai Star, the Chief Star of Earth, which is assigned to the secondary tactician of the story.

Regimental records indicate that Ignatowski was wounded in the jaw by shrapnel on [[February 20]], [[1945]], but returned to duty the same day. During the battle, on [[March 4]], [[1945]], Ignatowski was captured, tortured and murdered along with a Jewish Marine, Second Lieutenant [[Leonard Sokol]]. Their bodies were discovered on [[March 7]], [[1945.]] The following entries from the 28th Marine Regiment records describe the timeline of their deaths:

==Julian Silverberg==

"Mar 4, 1845 hrs - Fr LT228 - One P. F. C. from Easy Co, name unknown, belieed captured by Japs in vicinity of Hill 215.

A legendary strategist who helped Karnach Rugner, ancestor of [[Barbarossa Rugner]], become independent from [[Harmonia]] without any bloodshed, creating the Scarlet Moon Empire more than 200 years ago.

==Elenor Silverberg==

Mar 4, 2030 hrs - Fr LT228 - Lt. Sokol was killed at 1330 at 233 X and body taken by Nips - No maps or shackle codes known to be on his person according to Capt Severance.

Elenor Silverberg is the earliest known Silverberg since Julian himself. She was originally tactician for the Scarlet Moon Empire, but she was banished due to the actions of her subordinate, Graham Cray.

After this she headed south into the Island Nations where she settled on Hermitage Isle with her new apprentice, Agnes. She was recruited by the Island Nation Forces after hearing of Graham Cray's involvement and she eventually lead the army to victory against the Kooluk Forces. After the final battle she confront Graham Cray at the top of Fort El-Eal to question his actions which lead to his flight from the Scarlet Moon Empire and her exile. Fort El-Eal was destroyed in a massive explosion shortly after and it is believed that it was here that Elenor lost her life.

Mar 4, 2100 hrs - Fr LT 228 - All quiet - Easy Co reports Japs were definitely seen grabbing man into cave near where Lt. Sokol's body disappeared.

Elenor appears in [[Suikoden IV]].

Mar 7, 1900 hrs - Fr. LT228 - Body of captured PFC from "E" Co (Ignatowski) had apparently been searchd (pack emptied) and tortured - arm broken, body beaten. Location 450 yds north of tip of Hill 362. Forward and left of E Co's present CP - Lt. Sokol's body nearby mutilitated b one of our own flame throwers.

==Leon Silverberg==

Mar 7, 1940 hrs - Fr D2 - Corps requests written statements from men in "E" Co who saw Ignatowsky captured.

The current head of the Silverberg family, the uncle of Odessa and Mathiu Silverberg, whom he took care of after the death of their parents, and grandfather of Albert and Caesar Silverberg. He appears in [[Suikoden I]] and [[Suikoden II]].

Leon is well-known throughout the world as a genius strategist and was involved in many wars, including the Succession War, the Toran Liberation Wars, and Dunan Unification Wars. He lives by his strategic maxim of "ending war as fast as possible with the fewest casualties", using whatever means necessary, regardless of the morality of it, and regardless of who will win the war. His philosophy is shared by his grandson, Albert.

Mar 8, 0855 hrs - Fr 5th Div. Red Cross - Request details on capture of PFC Ignatowsky "E" Co. Call Mr. Thomas c/o Columbus #1

As a strategist, he is responsible for the Kalekka Incident which legitimized Scarlet Moon Empire's act of war against Jowston. During the Gate Rune Wars, Leon acted as tactical advisor for the Toran Liberation Army and aids them in ending the war. During Suikoden II, he is requested to become the strategist of the Highlands by [[Jowy Atreides]] (Jowy Blight). He aids the Highland until its defeat at the end of the Dunan Unification War.

Mar 8, 1010 hrs - Fr LT228 - Ignatowsky body evacuated with Lt. Sokol's. En route, via Regt.

==Mathiu Silverberg==

Mar 8, 1150 hrs - To D2 - Requested Regimental ARC representative and Regimental Surgeon examine body of P.F.C. Ignatowsky and prepare affidavits.

Mathiu Silverberg is the brother of Odessa and nephew of Leon, and is a well known strategist. He is also the mentor of strategists Shu and Apple. Mathiu's tactical philosophy contrasts with his uncle's, where upon Mathiu believes that the method is more important that achieving the end goal as quickly as possible. He appears in [[Suikoden I]].

He became a member of the Scarlet Moon military during his youth and participated in the Succession War as a strategist for Kasim Hazil, then served as a vice-strategist for Barbarossa Rugner under his uncle Leon. When Leon devised the plan to slaughter the town of Kalekka, Mathiu reluctantly carried out his duty, but retired from his position soon after, having realized that war inevitably causes innocents to suffer.

Mar 9, 1154 hrs - Fr D2 - Requests detail re Ignatowsky and statements: a. Circumstances of capture b. Events intervening between capture and recovery. c. Circumstances of recovery of body."

Over a decade later, Mathiu became the head strategist for the Toran Liberation Army during the Gate Rune Wars following the death of Odessa. Near the end of the war, he was fatally wounded during the attack on the floating fortress by a spy. He dies shortly thereafter, just after the fall of Barbarossa.

==Death==

In a book about Jews in the U.S. Marine Corps, author Howard J. Leavitt collected eyewitness reports regarding the actual circumstances of Ignatowski and Sokol's deaths, including a letter to the surviving members of the family of Lieutenant Sokol by fellow Marine James Buchanan:

==Odessa Silverberg==

:"On March 3, Private Ralph Ignatowski was somehow dragged into a cave within a small canyon. What I tell you next is what I heard but did not see. He may have tried to rescue Ignatowski, but I don’t know for sure.”

Odessa Silverberg is the sister of Mathiu and niece to Leon. She appears in [[Suikoden I]].

As an aristocrat, Odessa had lived most of her life in relative comfort and was unaware of the suffering of the common people. When she came to see the corruption within the Scarlet Moon Empire, she became one of the original founders of the Toran Liberation Army, an anti-imperial movement started by her late fiancé, Achilles.

:“I walked into the canyon and found Lieutenant Sokol on a road, Ralph Ignatowski close behind. An officer approached me and said, 'Don’t touch them. We may have an atrocity here.’ I understand Ralph had been bayoneted numerous times; some punctures bled, some did not.”

As the leader of the Toran Liberation Army, Odessa also acted as the group's chief strategist, using her knowledge of military strategy as taught by Mathiu. She welcomes a young [[Tir McDohl]] into the army and begins to see him as a potential successor as he gained her respect. When the Imperial Army attacked the rebels' base, taking advantage of the absence of a considerable number of their forces, Odessa is assassinated while attempting to save a child.

==''Flags of Our Fathers''==

===Book===

Flag raiser John "Doc" Bradley's recollections of Ignatowski's death are included in his son's book ''[[Flags of Our Fathers]]'':

The surviving members of the Liberation Army seek out Mathiu to take up Odessa's place as chief tactician and nominate Tir as their new leader. Thanks to Odessa's foresight and advanced planning, the Toran Liberation Army is ultimately victorious in the war.

:I have tried so hard to black this out. To forget it. We could choose a buddy to go in with. My buddy was a guy from Milwaukee. We were pinned down in one area. Someone elsewhere fell injured and I ran to help out, and when I came back my buddy was gone. I couldn’t figure out where he was. I could see all around, but he wasn’t there. And nobody knew where he was.

==??? Silverberg==

:A few days later someone yelled that they’d found him. They called me over because I was a corpsman. The Japanese had pulled him underground and tortured him. His fingernails... his tongue... It was terrible. I’ve tried hard to forget all this."

Mathiu and Odessa had a younger brother, but his name is unknown as is his current whereabouts. It is certain that he is still alive.

==Shu==

:Many years later, in researching my father’s life, I asked Cliff Langley, Doc’s co-corpsman, about the discovery of Iggy’s body. Langley told me it looked to him as though Ralph Ignatowski had endured just about every variety of physical cruelty imaginable.

Shu is the chief tactician of the Allied Forces during the Dunan Unification War. As a child, he studied military strategy under Mathiu Silverberg and alongside Apple, whom he views as a surrogate sister. He appears in [[Suikoden II]].

Under Mathiu, he learned everything about military strategy. Mathiu saw great potential in this young pupil. However, Shu used his knowledge for personal gain and was cast out from Mathiu's school. Since then, Shu has become a trader in Radat. With his uncanny grasp of the movements in the world, he quickly became rich through trade.

:"Both his arms were fractured," Langley said. "They just hung there there like arms on a broken doll. He had been bayoneted repeatedly. The back of his head had been smashed in."

During the Dunan Unification War, the Allied Forces asked Shu to join them. He initially refused, but with persistent begging by Apple and Riou, he agreed and quickly whipped the Allied Forces into shape by scoring an initial victory against the Highland Army, resulting in the execution of Solon Jhee. He quickly devised cunning strategies to rally support from other city-states and established an alliance with the Toran Republic.

Other eyewitness reports further indicated that Ignatowski had been tortured in the cave by the Japanese for three days, during which time they also cut out his eyes, cut off his ears, smashed in his teeth, and cut off his genitalia and stuffed it into his mouth.

However, Leon Silverberg suddenly sides with the Highland Army and causes disruption to Shu's plans. After the Dunan Army's retreat against Luca Blight, Leon helped Shu defeat Luca Blight by informing him of a planned night raid and Shu did not let that chance go by. Throughout the war, Shu's attitude towards military strategy had transformed. Originally, his philosophy was identical to Leon Silverberg's philosophy, where soldiers were pawns and strategists were never supposed to risk themselves.

===Film===

In the film ''[[Flags of Our Fathers (film)|Flags of Our Fathers]]'', Ignatowski was portrayed by actor [[Jamie Bell]]. He is seen in the opening scenes at Iwo Jima, and the film chronciles Bradley's search for Ignatowski. In the end, Ignatowski's body is found, but it is only alluded to; the viewer never sees the body. During the film, Bradley constantly asks, "Where is he?" as he flashbacks ot the battle and his search for his buddy.

However, with the influence of Apple and Nanami, he started to see that it is sometimes necessary to put himself on the line in order to truly win. In the end, he leads the Allied Forces to victory after he defeats Leon Silverberg. After the war, he became the Chancellor for the new Allied Nation while awaiting the return of the hero to his rightful post. He later retires, but then is brought out of retirement by the Higheast Rebellion, in which he secretly planned a plot to cause internal discord within Harmonia, which caused them to withdraw from the Highland territory.

==Aftermath==

[[Image:Ingatowski1.jpg|thumb|left|Ralph Ignatowski's tombstone in [[Rock Island, Illinois]], [[United States|USA]].]]

Ignatowski was awarded the [[Purple Heart]] with [[Gold Star]], [[Presidential Citation]] with Star, [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]], and the [[World War II Victory Medal]].

==Apple==

His remains were interred with military honors in Grave 1201, Row 11, Plot 5, Fifth Marine Division Cemetery, Iwo Jima, and later interred at the [[Rock Island, Illinois]] National Military Cemetery.

Like Shu, Apple is not a member of the Silverberg family, but was actually a student of Mathiu Silverberg. She appears in [[Suikoden I]], [[Suikoden II]] and [[Suikoden III]].

Apple deeply respects her mentor and aids him during the Toran Liberation Wars (Suikoden I). She becomes tactician to Viktor's mercenaries early in the Dunan Unification War (Suikoden II). After the fall of Muse, she successfully recruits Shu for the Allied Forces and helps him as a secondary strategist.

The [[AMVETS]] Ralph A. Ignatowski Memorial Post 60, Oak Creek, Wisconsin, was officially dedicated on Sunday, [[June 3]], [[1956]].

During Suikoden III, Apple works as a historian gathering information to compile a biography on Mathiu. She travels with a student of her own, Caesar Silverberg, and assists the young tactician as he acts as strategist for the Flame Champion during the Second Fire Bringer War. According to Apple, Caesar's tactical mindset is likely the closest to that of her master's.

==References==

*''Semper Chai!: Marines of Blue and White (and Red)'', Howard J. Leavitt

*Muster Roll of Officers and Enlisted Men of the U.S. Marine Corps, Second Battalion, Twenty-Eighth Marines, Fifth Marine Division Fleet Marine Force, 1 February to 28 February 1945

*''First Battalion of the 28th Marines on Iwo Jima'', Bob Allen

*''Flags Of Our Fathers,'', James Bradley, Bantam Books, Division of Random House, 1540 Broadway, New York, New York, 10036, May 2000, p. 344-345

==George Silverberg==

[[Category:1945 deaths|Ignatowski, Ralph]]

George is the son of Leon Silverberg and the father of Albert and Caesar Silverberg. Nothing else is known about him.

[[Category:Japanese war crimes|Ignatowski, Ralph]]

[[Category:Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Ignatowski, Ralph]]

In the manga, Caesar describes his father as a "true tactician", a strategist who was capable of knowing when to choose between winning more battles or watching out for the soldiers under his command, which is what Caesar himself strives to become.

[[Category:Year of birth missing|Ignatowski, Ralph]]

[[Category:United States Marines|Ignatowski, Ralph]]

==Caesar Silverberg==

[[Category:American World War II veterans|Ignatowski, Ralph]]

Caesar Silverberg is the son of George and the younger brother of Albert Silverberg. He travels with his mentor, Apple. Caesar appears in [[Suikoden III]].

Caesar is the youngest and most inexperienced of the strategists, though still possessing the talent his family is known for. Initially appearing to be a lazy and disinterested teenager, he possesses a keen and watchful mind and while he never demonstrates the elaborate plans of his predecessors his cunning misdirections and ability to see the situation stripped of emotional attachment serve the Flame Champion well.

His motivation to pursue the life of a tactician comes from his sibling rivalry with Albert, hoping to best his older brother. Caesar believes in Mathiu's ideology, where reducing the amount of casualties on both sides involved holds priority to the goal in mind so that neither opposing forces loses their strongest human resources such that they will be able to rebuild and manage a peaceful resolution because each side remains able to empathize with the other.

Caesar is initially dismissed by the Grasslanders, despite how his tactics saved the Chisha clan from Harmonia forces, and becomes discouraged, though Apple assures him that as a strategist, he must find generals to guide in battle. He eventually earns his place as their strategist when he reveals that he is familiar with the tactical advisor of the Harmonian forces: Albert Silverberg. Karaya clan chief Lucia convinces the other chiefs to accept Caesar as their tactician since she knows of Caesar's grandfather, Leon Silverberg, and the value of having Silverberg tactician on their side.

He proves himself to be a skillful tactician (though assisted by Apple and Salome Haras of the Zexen Confederacy) and intends to test his skills against Albert by pledging his support to the new Flame Champion. While the Grasslanders and the Zexen Confederacy defeat the Harmonians and the Destroyer forces, Caesar realizes that Albert remains the superior tactician and decides to return to his studies in hopes of surpassing his brother some day.

==Albert Silverberg==

Albert Silverberg is the son of George and the older brother of Caesar Silverberg. He appears in [[Suikoden III]].

Albert excelled in his studies and is an excellent strategist, eventually gaining the role of Harmonia's chief tactical advisor during Harmonia's invasion of the Grasslands. His ideals are largely similar to that of his grandfather, Leon, where bringing about the end goal as quickly as possible to spare lives takes priority over the methods used, no matter how amoral the methods may be or how much suffering must be caused as a result. He and Caesar, as a result of their differing ideologies, is a sore point between the brothers along with their contrasting personalities, especially since Albert is much more serious in comparision to his younger brother.

He initially works alongside [[Sasarai]], a bishop of Harmonia and the commander of the Harmonian invaders searching for the [[27 True Runes|True Fire Rune]], but reveals that he is actually working for Luc, the Masked Bishop. Albert's motives are unclear, but it appears that he believes supporting Luc will allow him to gain power within the Harmonian bureaucracy. It is revealed that he chose to follow Luc in hopes of lessening the amount of casualties in Luc's war through strategic means.

He eventually disappears at the end of the Second Fire Bringer War, intending leave the continent and start again under an assumed name. Caesar finds him before he leaves and informs his older brother that he will surpass him some day.

==External links==

* [http://www.suikosource.com '''Suikosource''']

[[Category:Suikoden characters]]