Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley with Ron Powers


Dr T
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Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley with Ron Powers was my next book. While the concept of this book is interesting, it took a lot for me to really get into it. This was a book about the men in the photo that put up the U.S. Flag on the hill in Iwo Jima. James Bradley’s father was one of those men. He wondered about why his father didn’t talk about it and about the other men in that picture. Basically this book goes through the boys/young men that went to war with the Japanese in WWII. It was not the war and the HUGE respect and thankfulness I have for what these men did for us that stood in the way of this book for me. I’m not quiet sure what it was really but I want to say it dragged but I do not want to seem disrespectful about what they did for us.

The book follows the guys, told about what they were like and how they entered, the new approach to war and their personal history, what it was like for them and their response to the notoriety of the actual picture, the errors in publicity about it, and the horror of war and what was seen while there, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder consequences, the death of many of our men, and how some of them tried to get back into normal life but had difficulty in various ways. I’m thankful they were able to put down a plaque for their father and write about what it was like, and how these people were real people that risked and gave their lives and some of the lucky ones that were able to make it through. Ira Hayes was one of the men that was among those men that helped raise our flag, how he drank a lot, was arrested a ton of time, how others wanted the fame and how others wanted it to be known for the heroes of all the men that were there not just the little group that put up that flag, how they just did what anybody would have done-“If somebody needed help you would help them” and how the whole situation was great because of their willingness to risk their lives and give their lives. I appreciated that about the book, was sorry about a lot of it, and it grew on me as I read it. I’d have to give it a 2 out of 5 stars though. I’m glad I got through it but I don’t think I’ll read it again. I will continue to teach my children to respect our military men and women and to understand what they gave up for us. I hope this little thread is not offensive to anybody. I know there was more to write about this book but I’ll just leave it where it is. I’d be happy to talk to you all more about it if you have any questions. Thank you.

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