Message-ID: <3444588.1075857844782.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2000 14:12:00 -0800 (PST) From: kvanpelt@flash.net To: veronica-dare@usa.net, vpsuny@aol.com, a_marine@bellsouth.net, stp19992000@yahoo.com, eaglefvr@majorinternet.com, thefoxs@flash.net, neelyshaw@aol.com, npryse@hotmail.com, tulsadad@att.net, kingvp@aol.com, physics123@yahoo.com, mtedrow99@hotmail.com, lsabbara@aol.com, larry_f_campbell@enron.com, mboyce4961@aol.com, ljdanker@hotmail.com, janeku@ix.netcom.com, gmcvp1@aol.com, umenos@gte.net, welch_dave@provalue.net, ashddh@aol.com, revayg@yahoo.com, webbca@tulsaschools.org, tulsama@worldnet.att.net, wvanpelt@aol.com, muslstang@aol.com, speech25@aol.com, angel.backes@la-z-boy.com, qeraser@rocketmail.com, bonnie71955@aol.com Subject: Fw: The Boys of Iwo Jima Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ANSI_X3.4-1968 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: "Karen Van Pelt" X-To: "Veronica Dare" , "Tonishia Van Pelt" , "Tim Campbell" , "Sumit Patel" , "Scott Lanehart" , "Rachelle Bennett" , "Neely Shaw" , "Natasha Pryse" , "Mitch Webb" , "Mike Van Pelt" , "Michael Campbell" , "Matt Tedrow" , "Lesli and Ramzy" , "Larry F Campbell" , "Julie & Matt" , "Jill Danker" , "Jane Ku" , "Gail Van Pelt" , "Dennis Umeno" , "Dave Welch" , "Darrell Hickman" , "Cheryl G." , "Cathy Webb \(@school\)" , "Cathy Webb" , "Bill Van Pelt" , "Benjamin Hogan" , "Annette Brandes" , "Angel Backes" , "Aaron Gregory" , "Bonita" X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Larry_Campbell_Dec2000\Notes Folders\All documents X-Origin: Campbell-L X-FileName: lcampbel.nsf ? ?I know that this is a long story, but please take the time to read it. Great story about American heroism. > > > > SOMETHING FOR ALL OF US TO THINK ABOUT.....AND BE THANKFUL THAT A WAR > > >SUCH > > > > AS THIS WILL HOPEFULLY NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN...JHK > > > > > > > > The Boys of Iwo Jima > > > > > > > > Each year I am hired to go to Washington DC with the eight grade class > > > > from Clinton, WI, where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly > > > > enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special > > > > memories back with me. > > > > > > > > This fall's trip was especially memorable. On the last night of our > trip > > > > we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest > bronze > > > > statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in > > > > history - that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at > > >the > > > > top of a rocky hill on the Island of Iwo Jima, Japan during WWII. Over > > > > one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed > > >towards > > > > the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, > and > > > > as I got closer he asked, "Where are you guys from?" I told him that > we > > > > were from Wisconsin. "Hey, I'm a cheesehead too! Come gather around, > > > > Cheeseheads, and I will tell you a story." > > > > > > > > (James Bradley just happened to be in Washington DC to speak at the > > > > memorial the following day.) He was there that night to say good night > > >to > > > > his dad, who has since passed away. He was just about to leave when he > > >saw > > > > the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received > his > > > > permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to > > > > tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington DC. > But > > >it > > > > is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night. > When > > > > all had gathered around he reverently began to speak. Here are his > words > > > > that night. > > > > > > > > "My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on > > > > that statue, and I just wrote a book called "Flags of Our Fathers'" > > >which > > > > is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the > story > > >of > > > > the six boys you see behind me. Six boys raised the flag. The first > guy > > > > putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an > all-state > > > > football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior > > > > members of his football team. They were off to play another type of > > >game. > > > > A game called "War." But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at > the > > > > age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that to > > > > gross you out, I say that because there are generals who stand in > front > > >of > > > > this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know > that > > > > most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old. > > > > > > > > (He pointed to the statue.) > > > > > > > > You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from new Hampshire. If you > > >took > > > > Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken, and looked in > the > > > > webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph. A photograph of > his > > > > girlfriend. Rene put that in their for protection, because he was > > >scared. > > > > He was 18 years old. Boys won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys. Not old > men. > > > > > > > > The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike > > > > Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They > called > > > > him the "old man" because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike > > > > would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, "Let's go > kill > > > > some Japanese" or "Let's die for our country." He knew he was talking > to > > > > little boys. Instead he would say, "You do what I say, and I'll get > you > > > > home to your mothers." > > > > > > > > The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pema Indian > from > > > > Arizona. Ira Hayes walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House > > >with > > > > my dad. President Truman told him, "You're a hero." He told reporters, > > > > "How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies > > > > hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?" So you > take > > > > your class at school. 250 of you spending a year together having fun, > > > > doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only > > >27 > > > > of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images > of > > > > horror in his mind. Ira Hayes died dead drunk, face down at the age of > > >32. > > > > Ten years after this picture was taken. > > > > > > > > The next guy going around the statue is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, > > > > Kentucky. A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, > > >told > > > > me, "Yeah you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop > > > > General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows > > >couldn't > > > > get down. Then we fed them Epson salts. Those cows crapped all night." > > > > Yes he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at > the > > > > age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, > > >it > > > > went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up > > >to > > > > his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and > > >into > > > > the morning. The neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away. > > > > > > > > The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue is my dad, John > > > > Bradley from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until > > > > 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Kronkite's > > > > producers, or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little > > > > kids to say, "No, I'm sorry sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada > > > > fishing. No, there is no phone there sir. No, we don't know when he is > > > > coming back." My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually he > was > > > > sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we > had > > >to > > > > tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the > > > > press. You see, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks > > > > these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and a monument. My > dad > > > > knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a > > >caregiver. > > > > In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys > > > > died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed in pain. When I was a > little > > > > boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I > went > > > > home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, "I want you > always > > >to > > > > remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come > back. > > > > DID not come back." > > > > > > > > So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, > > >and > > > > three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7000 boys died on Iwo > Jima > > >in > > > > the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is > giving > > > > out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time." > > > > > > > > Suddenly the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag > > > > sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the > > > > heartfelt words of son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. > > >Maybe > > > > not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a > > > > hero none-the-less. > > > > > > > > Used with permission from James Bradley. Visit his website at: > > > > http://www.IwoJima.com . > > >