Flags of Our Fathers

            The book Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley with Ron Powers. The book was re-written for young people by Michael French. This book was taken from the movie Flags of our Fathers. The movie was made by the famous director Clint Eastwood. This book details their duty on Iwo Jima in World War Two. This book details their duty on Iwo Jima and also their lives before and after the war.

            In this book there are six main characters who were the six people who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. The first character was Rene Gagnon of Manchester, New Hampshire. Rene was born on March 7, 1925. He was a French Canadian and the only child of Henry and Irene Gagnon. Rene was the youngest of the six flag raisers. He joined the marines because he had been given notice of going into the army, but instead he wanted to be a marine. He became a messenger boy in the marines. He was later sent home and was a huge celebrity and was never rich because he didn’t go find a job because he thought they would come to him. Rene died October 12, 1979.

            Mike Strank was born on November 10, 1919 in Czechoslovakia. Mike was the oldest of the flag raisers being twenty-five at Iwo Jima. Mike joined the marines in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Mike was a sergeant and was one of the three flag raisers to die on the island. He died from naval friendly fire on March 1, 1945.

            Harlon Block was born on November 6, 1924 in Yorktown, Texas. He lived his early life as a great football player and joined the marines with the senior football players after he graduated. Harlon was a corporal and took command of the squad after mike Strank died. Harlon died of friendly fire artillery just later that day after Mike Strank was killed by friendly fire. He died on March 1, 1945, hours after Mike Strank.

            John Bradley was born on July 10, 1924 in Antigo, Wisconsin. He was a sergeant corpsman in the navy at Iwo Jima. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his service at Iwo Jima. He died on January 11, 1994 in Antigo due to a heart attack.