His family suffered tragedies during World War II ; when he was 16 , his mother was killed in a car accident and his older brother Jack was killed on Iwo Jima .
Rote was the son of Jack and Emma Belle ( Owens ) Rote .
Rote 's family suffered tragedies during World War II ; when he was 16 , his mother was killed in a car accident and his older Jack Jack was killed on Iwo Jima .
Rote was the son of Jack and Emma Belle ( Owens ) Rote .