I just finished a fantastic book, Flags of Our Fathers. The book Is written by James Bradley, son of John Bradley, one of the 6 flag raisers on Iwo Jima, in collaboration with Ron Powers. John Bradley was the only flag raiser who was not a Marine. Bradley was a corpsman in the Navy, assigned to the Marines when they landed on Iwo Jima. Three of the six died on Iwo Jima. Of the other three, Ira Hayes, was a Pima Indian, who unfortunately when he returned, had a very tough time readjusting to life for a number of reasons. He ended up dying as an alcoholic, who couldn't hold a job, and couldn't handle the fame that came to him as a hero, only about 10 years after the flag raising. Rene Gagnon, from New Hampshire, actually believed, that he was a hero, and was owed quite a bit by the government, or a grateful America for his part in raising the flag at Iwo Jima. And then there was John Bradley. Bradley was the only person in that famous photo that not only survived, but became very successful in the small town in Wisconsin where he lived. He had a very simple philosophy. He was not a hero, for raising the flag. He just happened to be in the spot, at the time, and he just lent a hand. In his mind, the real heroes of Iwo Jima were those who did not return. The flag raisers were all members of Easy Company, which on D-Day at Iwo Jima, numbered 350 men, and 30 days later, when Easy Company was removed, it consisted of 27 individuals. The savagery of the Japanese was absolutely unbelievable. When the Marines landed at Iwo Jima, there were some 22,000 Japanese soldiers, literally dug into the walls of Mount Suribachi. Over 16 miles of tunnels connecting hundreds of rooms for everything from sleeping, eating, and shooting for the Japanese, honeycombed the mountainsides. Almost all of the 22,000 Japanese soldiers died on Iwo Jima. The final two Japanese soldiers finally surrendered in 1949. Many of the Japanese soldiers died at their own hands, rather than surrender.
It never ceases to amaze me, how almost every book about Marines, and/or the Marine Corps all say basically the same things about the pride, the honor, the loyalty and the belief in their duty that the Marines (as a unit) have always portrayed. I know we need an Army, an Air Force, and the Navy, but I am proud to have served as part of the most elite and honorable fighting force the world is ever known. In case you can't guess, I highly recommend the book Flags of Our Fathers.