My father-in-law, an Iwo Jima combat veteran, passed away two weeks back and the funeral was this past Monday---in a foot of new blizzard snow. Between the last two Monday's, lost somewhere, was Christmas.
So thanks for the inspiring and uplifting orchestral piece, especially because my father-in-law was a musician and band leader all his life, plyaing trombone, banjo and piano. What he participated in and saw on Iwo Jima didn't darken him; he was a fun-seeker and a happy soul to the end.
The Japanese battle flag was on his office wall for years, signed by his buddies. The rifle and sword were souveniers, brought home in a seabag. I posed them and the photo for the picture.