This semester I'm reading
Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley. My dad brought home a stack of books for me to choose from and this one seemed interesting because I have seen the picture of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima countless time, but I know nothing of the story or the people behind it. The very first sentence pointed out a fact that I had missed; there are actually six figures in the picture. Two are just hidden from full-view. The book starts at the end with James Bradley, the son of John Bradley who was one of the flag raisers, visiting Suribachi where the photo was taken. What struck me as impressive was that upon landing on the island with his family both U.S. Marines and Japanese soldiers stood at attention in order to act as a greeting party. This is a sacred place for both sides which is something that is easy to forget when you only hear one side of history.
Bradley then goes on to describe the background of each of the men. He talks about their childhoods, families, and how they ended up at Iwo Jima; some were drafted while others chose to join through their own free-will. They were all so different, but yet ended up together in a recognizable piece of history.
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