Co-author James Bradley is the son John Bradley who was a U.S. Navy Corpsman on Iwo Jima. His father never talked about the war war while he was alive, and after he passed away, Bradley was inspired to learn more about the flagraising and personalities associated with what was arguable the most famous photograph taken during World War II.

Flags Of Our Fathers book tells the stories of the six flag raisers who were immortalized by Associated Press (AP) photographer Joseph Rosenthal who photographed the second flag raising atop Mount Surabachi on southern Iwo Jima.

famous photograph. The true story of the men and events surrounding the famous photograph.

The flag was raised by six men: Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley (KIA), Harlon Block (KIA), Michael Strank (KIA) and Rene Gagnon. The book covers the lives of each flag raiser: from childhood till their deaths, including the three killed during the battle of Iwo Jima. The sixth flag raiser was misidentified as John Bradley.

For the three flag raisers who survived, the book also tells the story of their war bond tour and instant fame as the photograph captured the imagination of war-weary America and became instant 'heros'.

In 2006, this book was adapted as a Hollywood movie Flags of Our Fathers.

Years later, the identitiy of the sixth flag raiser was questioned. John Bradley who was on Iwo Jima and participated in the first flag raising.

An article in the Omaha World-Herald "New mystery arises from iconic Iwo Jima image" on November 23, 2014 described the efforts of historians Eric Krelle and Stephen Foley to research and identify the sixth flag raiser and resulted in a U.S. Marine Corps inquiry that identified the sixth flagraise as Pfc Harold Schultz that was reported in the New York Times "Man in Iwo Jima Flag Photo Was Misidentified, Marine Corps Says" on June 23, 2016.

Last Updated
September 21, 2023