The plot of Flags of Our Fathers starts with the introductions of the soon to be flag raisers. Then tells of how the men joined the Marines and about their training. After their training, their first deployments were to the battles in the Pacific during WWII. The main battle being a gruesome and long battle on Iwo Jima. “History turned all it’s focus, for 1/400th of a second” to the battlefield as a picture was taken of the unimportant and insignificant event of the second flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. However, when that picture made it back to the U.S. it was printed in almost every newspaper giving false hope that the battle was almost over. After the hard-fought battle on Iwo Jima, only three of the original six Flag Raisers remained alive.
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John Bradley, known as “Doc”, is a very dynamic character, along with the other five flag raisers. Doc risked his life to save others on Iwo Jima. Alongside Doc were his buddies from Easy Company, Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Mike Strank. Franklin’s home was in Kentucky, in 1944 Sousley was Drafted into the Army Infantry but instead of going into the Army Franklin enlisted in the Marines. As for Harlon Block and his undefeated football buddies back in Texas, they all decided to enlist in the Marine Corps together. Many do not know why the quiet, Pima Indian, Ira Hayes joined the Marines, but he did and he served alongside his Easy Company friends. Rene Gagnon didn’t pay much attention to the war outside of his town in New Hampshire until he was drafted into the Army, instead of accepting his fate in the Army Rene enlisted in the Marines. A Pennsylvanian, Mike Strank was the “old man” of Easy Company, he was “a Marine’s Marine” as they called him a truly proven and skilled leader. These once ordinary men became friends and as the world knew them, …show more content…
On page 17 it states “Harlon was the child most influenced by Belle and her beliefs” from the Adventist Church. However, Harlon wanted to play football, which for being an Adventist doesn’t mix, so when Belle thought the kids should continue at the Adventist School Harlon was the only one who refused. Mike Strank was a born leader, on page 25 Mike says, “Follow me and I’ll try to bring all of you back safely to your mothers. Listen to me, and follow my orders, and I’ll do my best to bring you home.” Mike was “the ultimate American fighting man: a tough, driven, and confident leader.” In reading Flags of Our Fathers you can get to know who the men and their families were before the war.
The training and beliefs of Japanese warriors differ tremendously from the American Marines. Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi ordered his men to “kill ten Americans before you die”. The Japanese were also commanded to never surrender. Unlike the Nazi Germans if the Japanese saw a red cross on a man’s helmet symbolizing a medic they were told to kill them on the spot to prevent them from helping wounded Americans. To adapt to the Japanese ways of fighting the Americans were forced to change some of
John Bradley, known as “Doc”, is a very dynamic character, along with the other five flag raisers. Doc risked his life to save others on Iwo Jima. Alongside Doc were his buddies from Easy Company, Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Mike Strank. Franklin’s home was in Kentucky, in 1944 Sousley was Drafted into the Army Infantry but instead of going into the Army Franklin enlisted in the Marines. As for Harlon Block and his undefeated football buddies back in Texas, they all decided to enlist in the Marine Corps together. Many do not know why the quiet, Pima Indian, Ira Hayes joined the Marines, but he did and he served alongside his Easy Company friends. Rene Gagnon didn’t pay much attention to the war outside of his town in New Hampshire until he was drafted into the Army, instead of accepting his fate in the Army Rene enlisted in the Marines. A Pennsylvanian, Mike Strank was the “old man” of Easy Company, he was “a Marine’s Marine” as they called him a truly proven and skilled leader. These once ordinary men became friends and as the world knew them, …show more content…
On page 17 it states “Harlon was the child most influenced by Belle and her beliefs” from the Adventist Church. However, Harlon wanted to play football, which for being an Adventist doesn’t mix, so when Belle thought the kids should continue at the Adventist School Harlon was the only one who refused. Mike Strank was a born leader, on page 25 Mike says, “Follow me and I’ll try to bring all of you back safely to your mothers. Listen to me, and follow my orders, and I’ll do my best to bring you home.” Mike was “the ultimate American fighting man: a tough, driven, and confident leader.” In reading Flags of Our Fathers you can get to know who the men and their families were before the war.
The training and beliefs of Japanese warriors differ tremendously from the American Marines. Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi ordered his men to “kill ten Americans before you die”. The Japanese were also commanded to never surrender. Unlike the Nazi Germans if the Japanese saw a red cross on a man’s helmet symbolizing a medic they were told to kill them on the spot to prevent them from helping wounded Americans. To adapt to the Japanese ways of fighting the Americans were forced to change some of