Alan Ibanez-Gallegos

Flags Of Our Fathers

May 1, 2016

Your teacher said something about heroes I want you to

always remember something. The heroes of Iwo Jima are the

John Bradley

guys who didnt come back.

JackBradley
JackBradleywasbornin1923inthesmall
townofAntigo,Wisconsin.Hisparents
wereKathrynandJamesJ.Bradleysr.His
familywereprettydevotedtoGod.His
father,JamesJ.Bradleysr.wasan
IrishAmericangoodtimer.Hefoughtin
thetrenchesofWorldWarIandwasa
skilledandhardworkingrailroadman.Johncamefromaveryhumblefamily.Likemost
kidsofthetime,heworehandmedownsfromcousinsanduncles.Naturally,Jack
Bradleyhadambitiontobesomethingmore.Whileattendingchurch,hewouldobserve
allthedistinguishedindividuals,mostlybusinessmen,ashewouldlookuptothem.
WhenJackwastenyearsold,hesawhissistersufferfromseveralburnsasherclothes
caughtfireinaheaternearthekitchen.Hissisterdiedseveraldayslater.Jackblamed
himselfformostofhislifeashethoughthecouldhavereactedbettertothesituation.
Asagrownmanandaveteranofmilitarymedicaltrainingherealizedthatpneumonia
mighthavebeenthethedeadlyblowthatkilledhissisterandnottheburns.Heenlisted
intheNavywithhisfriendBobConnelly.HewasassignedtoOaknollNavalHospitalin
Oakland,California.HewaslatermovedtoFieldMedicalschool.Thismeanthewould
begoingtowar.BradleyearnedaNavyCrossforriskinghislifewhilesavingafellow
soldier.Heisveryidentifiabletoenemyeyesashecarriesafirstaidbag.Afterhehas

seenvariousfellowsoldiersdie,Bradleybecomesdeeplytraumatized,buthecontinues
tofulfillhisduties.Hereturnsbackhometogettreatmentforhiswoundedleg.Soon
afterheisdischargedandproposedtoBettyVanCorp.JohnBradleydiedfromastroke
in1994.Heisrememberedforbeingagreatman,butnotforhisheroicactsinIwo
Jima.HisfamilylaterlearnsthathewasawardedwiththeNavyCross,somethinghe
neverspokeabout.
ReneGagnon
ReneGagnonwasbornonMarch7,1925in
ManchesterNewHampshire.Heistheonlychildof
canadianmillworkersHenryandIreneGagnon.His
motherdivorcedhisfatherwhenRenewasjusta
baby.Shefoundouthewascheatingonherand
decidedtonotallowhimbackintoherlife.Rene
nevermethisfatheruntilafterhecamebackfrom
thewar.Whenhewasoldenough,Reneworked
withhismotherinthemills.Hewasadofferandhis
jobrequirehimtotakecareofthebobbins.Hedidntfinishhighschoolashedropped
outtwoyearsintobecomeadofferfulltime.Hislifewasverycontrolledbyhismother
andlateronbyPauline.Hislifewasveryrepetitiveandheneverreallyhadtheambition
tochangeit.In1943hejoinedthemarines.Hismotherthoughtthiswouldbegoodfor
himanditwouldmakehimforgetaboutPauline.However,hehadalreadydecidedto

marryherwhenhecamebackfromthewar.Heenlistedattheageofseventeenin
1943.Hewastrainedasamessengerduringcombat.Heisgivenareplacementflagto
beputontopofMountSuribachi.AfterfightinginJapanhereturnshometoworkinthe
millswithPauline.ReneGagnonthenworkedforPaulinestravelserviceand
subsequentlyasajanitor.Heenduredanabusiverelationshipwithhiswifeuntilhisfinal
days.
MikeStrank
MikeStrankwasbornonNovember10,1919in
Jarabenia,Czechoslovakia.Helivedwithhisparents,
VasilandMarthaStrenk,andgrandparentsinapretty
smallhousewithadirtfloor.Vasilemigratedto
Americaandsubsequentlychangedhislastnameto
Strank.HefoundhiswaytothetownofFranklin
BoroughinPennsylvania.Heworkedintheminesfor
threeyearsbeforesavingenoughmoneytobring
MarthaandMiketoAmerica.MikewasCatholicandhadaverystrongfaith,whichhe
receivedfromhismother.Hehadabrother,Pete,whomhewouldpraywitheverynight
andlookoutforeachotheratschool.Whenhefirststartedthefirstgradehedidnot
knowmuchEnglish,butbythetimehefinishedhisfirstyearatschoolheexcelledatit.
HewassosmartthatheskippedthesecondgradetookuptheFrenchhornandlearned
it.WhenMikewasaseniorinhighschoolcollegeseemedveryattainableduetoits

cost.HewentontoworkfortheCivilianConservationCorps.In1939,whenHitlerwas
takingoverEurope,Mikejoinedthearmedforcesattheageofnineteen.Hewasthe
onlyoneofthesixflagraiserstojointheArmybeforeAmericaenteredthewar.Mike
wasbelovedbyeveryone.Hewasthetoughestofthebunch,butmostimportantlyhe
wasagreatleaderonandoffthewar.MikefoughtatthebattleofBougainvillealong
withIraandHarlon.HesufferedfromMalariaandhethoughtthathewouldneverbe
backhomeandsohetoldhisfriendsandfamilythathewouldnotbereturning.Mike
dieswhenashellexplodesnearbyhim.Astheleader,hewastryingtocreatean
escaperouteforhismen.Hewasrememberedasagreatleader.
HarlonBlock
HarlonBlockwasbornon1924inRioGrande
Valley,Texas.Hisfatherwasafarmboyandhis
motherwasacitygirl.Hisfamily,likemostduring
thegreatdepression,struggledtomakeends
meat.Harlonalongwithhissiblingshelpedmilk
cowsintheirfarmtomakealiving.Hismother
wasverydevotedtothebeliefsofthe
SeventhDay.SheworkedhardtopayforHarlon
andhissiblingstuitiontoattendalocaladventist
school.Harlonwasinfluencedbythebelievesof
hismother.Hewasagoodandhonorableboywhowasabletotellrightfromwrong.

Harlonhadagreatrelationshipwithhisfatheraswell.Heworkedlongdayswithhim
haulingcrudeoil.FootballwasveryimportanttoHarlon,however,hismomdidntlike
suchsportasitwasviolent.Harlonwasverypopularamongtheladiesbutnevertooka
stepforward.Hewasnevermarriedanditisbelievedthathemighthaveneverkisseda
girl.FormanyyearsnooneknewitwashiminthepictureuntilbutIraHayesmadethe
efforttomakeitright.Harlonenlistedinthemarinesalongwithhiswholehighschool
footballteam.HewouldoftenhavetroublesfightingduetohisbelieffromSeventhDay.
Harlonhadwrittenaletterforhismotherexplainingthathewasalright.AfterMike
Strankdieshowever,hetakeshisplaceasthesquadleader.However,hediessoon
after.Heismisidentifiedinthefamousphotograph.EveryonethinksitisHankHansen.
FranklinSousley
FranklinSousleywasbornonSeptember19,1925in
Hilltop,Kentucky.HisparentsDukeandGoldiehad
landwheretheywouldfarmcorn,wheat,andtobacco.
Franklincamefromaveryhardworkingfamilythatdid
everythingtheycouldtohaveasustainableliving.
Franklinwasthesecondsonofthree.Hewouldsoon
becomethemanofthefamilyafterthetradiesthat
followed.Whenhewasjustthreeyearsold,his
brotherMalcolmdiedofappendicitis.HisbrotherJulianarrivedwhenhewasjustseven
yearsold.Attheageofeight,hisfatherhaddiedofdiabetes.Thepassingofhisfather

createdaspecialmotherandsonbond.Franklinlearnedalotfromhismother,whowas
veryhappyandoptimisticdespitelosingherhusbandandson.Whilestillinhighschool
heworkedatafrigidaireplanttosupporthismotherwiththebills.Lateron,Franklin
workedasastakerandpropellerassemblerwhenhejoinedtheMarines.Hewaskilled
inIwoJimawhenhewentthroughthewrongway.Heisshotintheback.Hiscorpseis
returnedhomeforaproperburial.
IraHayes
Perhapsthemostmysteriousamongthebunch.
IraHayeswasbornonJanuary12,1923toNancy
andJobeHayes.HewasaPimaIndianandlived
inareservationofabout15,000inhabitants.He
wastheoldestofsixkids.Twoofhissiblings,
HaroldandArlene,diedasbabiestwoothers,
NancyandLeonard,diedbeforetheywere20
yearsoldKenylivedtobetheageofsixtyseven.
Iralivedinasmalladobehutmadeofmesquite
postsandarrowheadrock.Irawasveryquietandlikehisfatherheworkedasafarmer,
cottonharvester,andachopperofweeds.EveryoneinthetriberemembersIraasa
veryshybutsmartindividual.Hehardlyevertalkedandwouldnotspeakunlessspoken
to.Hismotherwouldoftenreadthebibletohimandfromthatheinheritedhisfaith.Ira
enlistedintheMarinesninemonthsafterPearlHarbor.Histribesenthimofftowarwith

atraditionalPimaceremony.Enlistingintothearmycameasasurpriseforhisfamily
andfriendssincethePimawereverypeaceful.Hewroteletterstohisfamilyaboutboot
campandthepridehegotfrombecomingaUSMCParatrooper.Whenhereturned
homeforthefirsttime,membersofthewereastonishedbyIrastransformationintoa
man.AfterfightinginJapan,ThepresidentoftheUnitedStatesisplanningabondtour
toraisefundsforthewar.However,Iradoesnotwanttobepartofitandhewarns
Gagnontonotidentifyhimasoneoftheflagraisers.Irasoonturnstoalcoholanddoes
notwanttotakepartinanymoremilitaryactivities.Almostadecadelater,Irahadbeen
strugglingwithalcoholandgettingintroubletoooften.In1954,heisfounddeadinthe
snow.ManybelieveitwasthefamethatgottohimbutJamesBradleybelievesitwas
alcoholismthatkilledhim.