"Flags of our Fathers" by James Bradley

Flags of our Fathers details the lives of the boys in the famous photograph of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima in World War 2. The author is the son of one of the six flag-raisers. Early in the book he details the lives of each of the flag-raisers before their involvement in the war. We see a bit about what their values and motivations are and what makes them tick. Then we read about the preparation, and events leading up to the battle, and then Iwo Jima itself. What an amazing and horrible story. The stories and statistics are overwhelming. The stories of heroism as well as brutality brought tears to my eyes. We also get to hear about what exactly happened in that flag-raising, and how it was really a non-event. About as routine as going to your mailbox, one marine said. Then, the fame that the surviving flag-raisers were thrust into against their wills.

This was one of the saddest parts for me to read about. Being shell-shocked by watching your friends get blown to pieces all around you, your best friends being brutally tortured, and surviving by pure luck, and then everyone is saying what a hero you are because you helped put a flag up. Amazing.

It struck me how all the survivors had their demons to deal with. They were haunted by the dead bodies all around them, the death that overwhelmed them and the lives that they took away from others. Each dealt with it a different way, but none were unscathed. Some of the casualties of war came after the soldiers had returned and tried to live a normal life again.
The volume tears away the facade of war being a macho-manly right of passage. It showed how they were merely boys, sometimes as young as 15 years old. It hit me how so many times the soldiers' final cries before death was for their mothers. It sure blows a hole in our idea of John Wayne-esque heroism. But there was heroism on that beach, with more medal of honor recipients than any other battle, and that just the tip of the iceberg.

This was the first World War 2 book I've ever read. It was humbling and made me truly appreciative of those who gave their lives for our freedom.