Flags of our fathers
Summary
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley is a true story where he wants to dig deep into his father’s, Jack Bradley’s, service in the war and especially being one of the flag raisers from the iconic photo on Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Theater. He does this by finding out who the five other flag raisers are; their names are Mike Strank, Franklin Sousley, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Harlon Block. They, including Jack Bradley, are all from different parts of the United States and are all very different from one another, but they come together for the same purpose: to defend their country and each other. One of the book’s main settings was Iwo Jima. On this island, the Americans, for the longest time, were fighting against an enemy that wasn’t visible to them. Nonetheless, they eventually defeated the Japanese on the island that the Japanese deemed sacred to themselves and their ancient culture. Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Jack Bradley, who were the only ones to make it back home alive, ended up suffering major PTSD from the battles fought on Iwo Jima.