Of the six men photographed raising the flag at Iwo Jima, three of them died shortly afterward in combat. (Franklin Sousley, Michael Strank, and Harlon Block.) The other three ( Ira Hayes, John Bradley and Rene Gagnon) not only had war memories to try to come to terms with but they were also ordered to make appearances in order to make money for the War Bond Drives. John Bradley never talked about any of this and it was only after his death that his children discovered that he was one of the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. "Flags Of Our Fathers" is the book written by his son, James Bradley, co-authored by Ron Powers that I would highly recommend that you read. Ira Hayes, was a quiet soft-spoken Pima Native American from Arizona. He suffered horribly from all the attention directed at him and became an alcoholic and died at the very young age of 32. (Some famous actress tried to help him and I have searched the internet to find to find who this was, but have been unable to find this information. It was either an actress or the mother of an actor... I read this somewhere but now, I can't find it...perhaps someone reading this could let me know.) The third young man, Rene Gaynon, who at first seemed the most comfortable with all the scrutiny, also became bitter and in the end, had his own problems with alcohol.
War does horrible things to everyone - including the men who've had to fight them, perhaps their stories too often get overlooked. Thanks for sharing this history with us Kay.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jane. Those two photos were taken by Richard at the Tampa airport. I was glad to see all the names of the men listed with the flag-raising, but it made me wonder about the number of people who pass this by without a thought of the real men behind it.
DeleteOnly last week, I read an article in my weekly paper about war veterans in Germany, meaning the generation of soldiers who have recently come back from places like Afghanistan. And I was amazed and shocked to find out that there is NO OFFICIAL place in Germany designed to deal with home-coming veterans and their problems. Some military officials are beginning to be aware of the problem, but in general, those men are left to their own devices, struggling with post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, often alcoholism and other drugs.
ReplyDeleteDear Meike,
DeleteIt is the same thing here and it is a real problem for those returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. I know someone in this county who is a retired vet and a hospital chaplain and he helps vets and the widows of vets trying to cope. Suicides and murders are beginning to be linked to post-traumatic stress syndrome so I hope that more attention will be called to it so the veterans can get the help that they need.
The article I read said that in the US, there is actually a section of the government (or of the military itself, I don't recall the exact detail) put in place specifically to deal with veterans. They are probably understaffed and underpaid and don't reach every veteran who needs assistance, but at least there is such a section - in Germany, there isn't even that!
DeleteThat is a very thought provoking post Kay. Kate's godfather was heavily involved in the Falklands War. He was on helicopters during that time and from the day he came home he has never spoken about it. He was one of the lucky ones to come home physically uninjured and to outward appearances has no lasting traumas but who knows.
ReplyDeleteHave a happy day. Pat
Dear Pat,
DeleteAs a travel agent, I spoke with many veterans from World War II and Korea going to their reunions to see their buddies. As they got older, they began to open up a bit more and talk of their experiences. I count myself very fortunate to have been in such a job where I was able to meet these guys and let them know how much I respected them and their service.
Thanks for sharing....I didn't know any of the details behind those men's stories. It's so sad ~ I'm always saddened by these stories of PTSD and alcoholism, etc from returning veterans. I wish there was more we could do for them....considering how much they do for us.
ReplyDelete(Watching the morning news and they're showing an update on Amy Copeland! ~ makes me think of you....)
Thanks, Audrey, I so much agree.
DeleteAnd I will do a post on Aimee Copeland soon. She is amazing.
A war, even if it's one that has to be fought, as that one did, is a terrible crime in the toll it takes on the people.
ReplyDeleteIt's something to remember as we celebrate independence next week.
Dear Mimi,
DeleteIt is something to remember, especially as we all gather to celebrate the 4th of July.
You are so right, Kay; we should be familiar with the stories of the people behind images like these. Some of their tales are heartbreaking and often result in tragic endings. The horrors of war disturb the human psyche. It's more than most of us can handle, and I feel sorry for the people whose lives have been shattered because of it.
ReplyDeleteDear Martha,
DeleteThanks for your thoughtful comment, as always!
I feel so much for those who have had to endure war and the aftermath of it.
A truly iconic image!
ReplyDeleteI was trying not to use that overused word, "iconic" but...you are right, this truly IS an iconic image!
DeleteExtremely interesting post, Kay. It is so shocking that all nations still seem to be sadly lacking in caring for their servicemen and women with PTSD.
ReplyDeleteI see more discussion about it now, so perhaps it is changing for the better.
DeleteThanks for reminding us of the men behind the image Kay. It is shocking that war veterans are not given the help and attention they need and deserve after enduring such trauma. I think most nations are guilty of this.
ReplyDeleteAnd we (and I mean we, the general public) are not as sensitive as we could be. Just because they are now home, does not mean they have recovered from all that they have experienced.
DeleteOh, this is sad. I am glad you remember these men to us.
ReplyDeleteDear Jenny,
DeleteAnd I will do all that I can so that people will not forget them.
'The ballad of Ira Hayes', written by Peter LaFarge and most famously sung by Johnny Cash, provides an insight into how one of the men coped with his brief,and unsolicited,moment of fame.
ReplyDeleteHenry
Dear Henry,
DeleteYes! I started to put this on here, but found the one with all the men so I used that one instead.
Apparently, Peter LaFarge was also a Native American. "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" is a good song.
Thanks for your comment!