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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 .
> >  >