Flags of our Fathers

Paper Summary:

The writer of this article notes that instead of raising the obvious questions, 'Flags of Our Fathers' examines war and empire-building through the lives of the six young men immortalized in the Iwo Jima picture. This paper discusses that the author further examines how these men internalized the institutions of military and government, and how these loyalties helped them endure the horrors of World War II. The writer maintains that the reader wonders whether one would be willing or able to do the same today, to take the same precautions and make the same military decisions as the men in the picture. The writer questions whether the United States would be able to fight and win another Iwo Jima or another Normandy. The writer concludes that if faced with the same hard military decisions today, that the author hopes that as a nation we could respond the same way as the six men of Eagle Company as they raised the flag at Iwo Jima.

Outline:
Summary of book
Commentary

From the Paper:

"All of them, however, have very distinctive traits in common. They were all children who grew up in the Great Depression, and had thoroughly internalized the values of discipline, loyalty and the ability to sublimate their own personal interests for a greater cause. They were all strong believers in religion, and each had strong mother figures in their lives. They were strong believers in the old-fashioned American patriotism, and therefore never questioned the reasons behind the war. Moreover, each one of them was described as "quiet, shy boys." They were thus hardly the warmongers who were gung-ho to join the fray of battle."
"The bombing of Pearl Harbor brings a new consciousness into American perceptions of the war. Until December 7, 1941, the War was with Adolf Hitler's troops across the Atlantic Ocean. Now, notes Bradley, Americans became aware of a war that had already been ongoing in Asia for almost a decade."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bradley, James and Ron Powers. Flags of Our Fathers. New York: Bantam Books (reissue), 2006.

More papers on Flags of our Fathers:

• Book Review # 75181 : "Flags of our Fathers"
• Book Review # 147427 : "WWII in Bradley and Powers' "Flags of Our Fathers"
• Term Paper # 107567 : "Clint Eastwood"

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