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?I know that this is a long story, but please take the time to read it. Great story about American heroism. < < < < SOMETHING FOR ALL OF US TO THINK ABOUT.....AND BE THANKFUL THAT A WAR < < <SUCH < < < < AS THIS WILL HOPEFULLY NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN...JHK < < < < < < < < The Boys of Iwo Jima < < < < < < < < Each year I am hired to go to Washington DC with the eight grade class < < < < from Clinton, WI, where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly < < < < enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special < < < < memories back with me. < < < < < < < < This fall's trip was especially memorable. On the last night of our < trip < < < < we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest < bronze < < < < statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in < < < < history - that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at < < <the < < < < top of a rocky hill on the Island of Iwo Jima, Japan during WWII. Over < < < < one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed < < <towards < < < < the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, < and < < < < as I got closer he asked, "Where are you guys from?" I told him that < we < < < < were from Wisconsin. "Hey, I'm a cheesehead too! Come gather around, < < < < Cheeseheads, and I will tell you a story." < < < < < < < < (James Bradley just happened to be in Washington DC to speak at the < < < < memorial the following day.) He was there that night to say good night < < <to < < < < his dad, who has since passed away. He was just about to leave when he < < <saw < < < < the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received < his < < < < permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to < < < < tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington DC. < But < < <it < < < < is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night. < When < < < < all had gathered around he reverently began to speak. Here are his < words < < < < that night. < < < < < < < < "My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on < < < < that statue, and I just wrote a book called "Flags of Our Fathers'" < < <which < < < < is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the < story < < <of < < < < the six boys you see behind me. Six boys raised the flag. The first < guy < < < < putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an < all-state < < < < football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior < < < < members of his football team. They were off to play another type of < < <game. < < < < A game called "War." But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at < the < < < < age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that to < < < < gross you out, I say that because there are generals who stand in < front < < <of < < < < this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know < that < < < < most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old. < < < < < < < < (He pointed to the statue.) < < < < < < < < You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from new Hampshire. If you < < <took < < < < Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken, and looked in < the < < < < webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph. A photograph of < his < < < < girlfriend. Rene put that in their for protection, because he was < < <scared. < < < < He was 18 years old. Boys won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys. Not old < men. < < < < < < < < The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike < < < < Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They < called < < < < him the "old man" because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike < < < < would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, "Let's go < kill < < < < some Japanese" or "Let's die for our country." He knew he was talking < to < < < < little boys. Instead he would say, "You do what I say, and I'll get < you < < < < home to your mothers." < < < < < < < < The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pema Indian < from < < < < Arizona. Ira Hayes walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House < < <with < < < < my dad. President Truman told him, "You're a hero." He told reporters, < < < < "How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies < < < < hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?" So you < take < < < < your class at school. 250 of you spending a year together having fun, < < < < doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only < < <27 < < < < of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images < of < < < < horror in his mind. Ira Hayes died dead drunk, face down at the age of < < <32. < < < < Ten years after this picture was taken. < < < < < < < < The next guy going around the statue is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, < < < < Kentucky. A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, < < <told < < < < me, "Yeah you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop < < < < General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows < < <couldn't < < < < get down. Then we fed them Epson salts. Those cows crapped all night." < < < < Yes he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at < the < < < < age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, < < <it < < < < went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up < < <to < < < < his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and < < <into < < < < the morning. The neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away. < < < < < < < < The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue is my dad, John < < < < Bradley from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until < < < < 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Kronkite's < < < < producers, or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little < < < < kids to say, "No, I'm sorry sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada < < < < fishing. No, there is no phone there sir. No, we don't know when he is < < < < coming back." My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually he < was < < < < sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we < had < < <to < < < < tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the < < < < press. You see, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks < < < < these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and a monument. My < dad < < < < knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a < < <caregiver. < < < < In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys < < < < died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed in pain. When I was a < little < < < < boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I < went < < < < home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, "I want you < always < < <to < < < < remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come < back. < < < < DID not come back." < < < < < < < < So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, < < <and < < < < three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7000 boys died on Iwo < Jima < < <in < < < < the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is < giving < < < < out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time." < < < < < < < < Suddenly the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag < < < < sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the < < < < heartfelt words of son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. < < <Maybe < < < < not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a < < < < hero none-the-less. < < < < < < < < Used with permission from James Bradley. Visit his website at: < < < < http://www.IwoJima.com . < < <
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