They called him the 'old man' because he was so old. 'The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph of his girlfriend. (He pointed to the statue) 'You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. 'You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old.' I don't say that to gross you out, I say that because there are generals who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war.' Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. They were off to play another type of game. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.' My dad is on that statue and I just wrote a book called 'Flags of Our Fathers' which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. 'My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, D.C., but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.) I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who has since passed away. (James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the memorial the following day. 'Hey, I'm a cheesehead, too! Come gather around, cheeseheads, and I will tell you a story.' I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, 'Where are you guys from?' Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history - that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II. On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial. This fall's trip was especially memorable. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. (From the book: Heart Touchers 'Life-Changing Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter)Įach year I am hired to go to Washington, DC, with the eighth grade class from Clinton, WI, where I grew up, to videotape their trip.

Iwo jima flag raising