Flags Of Our Fathers

[crokett]

A very good book. If you haven't read it, do. It is the story behind the famous picture of the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima. Interestingly, that picture is actually the 2nd flag that was raised. For the rest of the story, you should read the book.

[Tom Slick]

Yep, it was completely a photo-op for the media. I have not read the book but I know the cliff-notes of the story, very interesting.

[steve-norrell]

If you are so inclined, I also recommend the two movies directed by Clint Eastwood. "Flag of Our Fathers" tells the American side of the story while "Letters from Iwo Jima" focuses on the Japanese side. Both movies are excellent.

Regards, Steve

[Whaler]

We recently watched the movie "Flags Of Our Fathers" and it was outstanding.

[jking]

I have not read "Flags of Our Fathers", but, I just started reading "Flyboys". It is a book by the same author that tells the story of what happened to a group of pilots at Chichi Jima, another island in the south pacific.

I have the luxury of having a wife with a history major & a great appetite for reading. I have a short list of books she has finished that she recommends.

[TB Roye]

Former President Bush was shot down off of Chichi Jima but was rescued before being captured and suffering the fate of may who were Captured and held os POW on Chichi Jima.
Fly Boys is a great book.

Tom

[phrog]

My father was on Iwo Jima. He would never talk about it unless asked. From the stories that he told me about the battle, it was every bit as bad as any movie could possibly depict. Another book that you might enjoy (that I just finished reading) is The Great Raid. It is about the rescue of our guys from the Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines.
Richard

[mjernigan]

I've read both of them, and recommend them both; conversely, I've seen neither of Eastwood's movies, but intend to. War IS ****, and I consider myself lucky to not have gotten closer to the shooting than I did in Gulf 1.

People do some awful things to each other in the name of nationalism, and it's uncomfortable but ****ed necessary to be aware of it, from the "an ounce of prevention..." department.

Interestingly, a story has surfaced recently in the mainstream media about another pilot shot down over Chichi Jima, who fared worse than Bush 1. Check it out here.

[mjernigan]

Really? One can't use the words "h e l l" or "d a m n e d" ? Wow... awfully tight ship here.

[crokett]

Really? One can't use the words "h e l l" or "d a m n e d" ? Wow... awfully tight ship here.

Not by choice, at least at first. We tried relaxing things a few years ago and dustups resulted so... Unfortunately it is the whole give an inch take a mile thing.

Back on topic, the famous photograph that is the subject of the book wasn't really a photo-op. Without giving too much away, the photographer wasn't really sure he'd even gotten anything, and in any event it is a photo of the second flag-raising that day. If you want more of the story, read the book.