[R.W.Ratikal]

Forget the movie, it has little to do with the book.

Read the book, it has everything to do with a man's love for his father, who was one of the men who raised the flag, and who was a modest war hero who never told his family about the Navy Cross he received for bravery.

The book also deals with the non-bleeding wounds that some men suffer in battle that can't be treated but eventually kills, and of shirt-tailed kids who went away to war and became men.

The book's plot is not about the depression that started in 1929 or about Roosevelt. The story is built around how tough the battle of Iwo Jima really was. 6000 marines were killed in a two-month long battle securing this two-mile speck of black sulphur in the Pacific.

In a cemetery on Iwo Jima lies the 6000 Marines. At the entrance some unknown buddy carved a tribute to them on a nearby rock, it reads,

"When you go home
Tell them for us and say,
For your tomorrow,
We gave our today."

Cindy Sheehan, call your office.

[ExTexasRedhead]

"...For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today"

IMO, Liberals and RINOs aren't worthy of licking these mens boots! These brave American heroes must be turning in their graves at the dirty politics and anti-American, anti-military garbage that we have representing us.

[Lancey Howard]

Thanks for that great post.

[stevem]

The story is built around how tough the battle of Iwo Jima really was. 6000 marines were killed in a two-month long battle securing this two-mile speck of black sulphur in the Pacific.

One of the things I always found infinitely interesting about Iwo Jima had to do with the guts of the guys that did that job. In those days the planners knew from much experience that an island that size would be taken in about 3 or 4 days. It was simply a "given."

I read somewhere once that Kuribayashi knew it was a suicide mission. He had the same basic information as did General Smith and Admiral Spruance that in that war for invasion after invasion after invasion the Americans had never been hurled back, not once. He knew if they maintained the will, Iwo would fall. His plan was to surrender it a square inch at a time. The whole event still makes me shudder to think of it.

[Coronal]

Thank you, gentlemen. RIP.

[kindred]

[...the battle of Iwo Jima really was. 6000 marines were killed in a two-month long battle securing this two-mile speck of black sulphur in the Pacific.]

These are the heros that a movie can not depict. I don't really care about their reasons for joining, it is important that they stood through the fear and sorrows and despicable horror that inescapable battles between men (representing and defending and protecting the average joe like me and you)bring and fought to win. And we don't know them in any way except they were of our fathers who decided to fight against an evil enemy who would have destroyed us if they did nothing, and so they did.
Can you imagine this happening today with so many young and violent pacifists who have been raised to avoid fighting for their country? I can not, I hope I am wrong.