Flags of Our Fathers is a story written by James Bradley a man whose.
father was one of the six corageous young men to raise the flag in the battle.
of Iwo Jima during World War II. His father never spoke of the war but.
after his death at the age of seventy James discovered boxes of letters and.
photos of the war. James then discovers that his father is one of the six.
flagraisers at Iwo Jima and decides to find out as much as he can about the.
others. These six young men were John Bradley, Franklin Sousley, Harlon.
Block, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Mike Strank. They didn't know it at the.
time but these six young men were about to be a part of one of the most.
famous moments in all of American history. These brave young men risked.
their lives on the beaches of Japan for your freedom, my freedom and the.
freedom of America. .
John Bradley was born in Antigo, Wisconsin the son of James a World.
War I veteran, a railroad worker, and a laborer in a coal depot, and Kathryn.
a strict Catholic woman who spent most of her time worrying. The.
Depression cut deeply into the railroads forcing them to lay off many.
employees, because of this the Bradley family uprooted and moved to the.
more prosperous town of Appleton. Here John attended St. Mary's Catholic.
school and worked part time at an Appleton funeral home. When Jack was.
nineteen years old he knew he was going to be drafted so he enlisted in the.
Navy so he could avoid land battle. Little did he realize he would be involved.
in one of history's bloodiest battles. .
Franklin Sousley was born on September 29, 1925 in Kentucky the son.
of George and Goldie. As a young boy Franklin helped his family with their.
farming which was mostly in tobacco as well as the other farm yard chores.
that needed to be done. In May of 1934 Franklin's father died, leaving him to.
be the man of the house and the provider for his mother and siblings. AS.
soon as Franklin graduated high school he was off to work for a Frigidaire.
