Wow...now that's an incredible book! I don't usually read modern history, though when I was in my teens I read quite a few WWII books that Dad & Mom owned. But a friend at work had this, so I read it. In case you don't know, it's about the 6 men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, you know, the famous flag picture. And it was written by the son of the longest living flag raiser, 3 of whom died on Iwo Jima.
And here's some interesting facts you may or may not know:
The 22,000 Japanese defenders were all in 15 miles of underground caves and tunnels.
The flag was raised on the 5th day of almost 5 weeks of fighting.
The flag in the picture was raised as a replacement for a smaller flag that had been raised earlier in the day.
The Marines lost 1/3 of their total casualties during 43 months of war in the Pacific during
the 5 weeks fighting on Iwo Jima.
The battle of Iwo Jima was in February 1945; however, the last 2 Japanese soldiers on the island didn't surrender until 1949.
The movie Sands Of Iwo Jima starring John Wayne actually had the 3 surviving flag raisers
in bit parts.
John Wayne's hand & footprints in Hollywood are in black concrete, made with the black coral sand from Iwo Jima.
So now you know a little more, maybe you'll go read this book - not just watch the movie!
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