*** History has been played out in various ways none of which can we change or alter in anyway... So our best use of the past is to learn from it so that we do not make the same mistakes again and become better suited at living as a good neighbor...**

Date:   7/3/2015 6:44:09 PM ( 9 y ago)

“Uncommon valor was a common virtue.” – Chester Nimitz, March 16, 1945

This battle came at an extraordinary cost to the United States; nearly seven thousand dead, almost six thousand of which were Marines. Iwo Jima remains the costliest battle in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps and represented approximately one third of the entire Marine death toll during World War II.

Nimitz’s quote of memorial is particularly relevant now.

The Battle of Iwo Jima has become etched in the historical memory of Americans largely because of the iconic photograph taken soon after its conclusion by photographer Joe Rosenthal. The photo derives power from more than its stunning visual image. It conveys the struggle and ultimate victory of U.S. Marines who played a critical role in bringing the catastrophic destruction of World War II to an end less than six months later.

** From both the book and movie...

Flags of Our Fathers is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were involved in raising the flag on Iwo Jima, and the aftereffects of that event on their lives.

This film is taken from the American viewpoint of the Battle for Iwo Jima, while its companion film, Letters from Iwo Jima, which Eastwood also directed, is from the Japanese viewpoint of the battle. Letters from Iwo Jima was released in Japan on December 9, 2006 and in the United States on December 20, 2006, two months after the release of Flags of Our Fathers on October 20, 2006.

The film was produced by Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz and Steven Spielberg.

** Both of these were excellent and cover the history very well...

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** Another note on the racial stand of many {Black or Negro - 2015} which seems to continue to be like a festering sore upon the History of the USA...

Referring to the present strife - which does not seem to offer any form of forgiveness or even a promise of getting people to see that whatever happened in history - happened and there is nothing we can do to change that folks...

** No one can change the past - we must come to live positively in the present because this is all we can do...

*** A key part of the Gospel of The Bible is the Commandment to " Love your Neighbor"....

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{Note from Flags of Our Fathers (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, director Spike Lee, who was making Miracle at St. Anna, about an all-black U.S. division fighting in Italy during World War II, criticized director Clint Eastwood for not depicting black Marines in Flags of Our Fathers.
Citing historical accuracy, Eastwood responded that his film was specifically about the Marines who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima, pointing out that while black Marines did fight at Iwo Jima, the U.S. military was segregated during World War II, and none of the men who raised the flag were black.
Eastwood believed Lee was using the comments to promote Miracle at St. Anna and angrily said that Lee should "shut his face".
Lee responded that Eastwood was acting like an "angry old man", and argued that despite making two Iwo Jima films back to back, Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers, "there was not one black Marine in both of those films".

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Contrary to Lee's claims, however, black Marines (including an all-black unit) are seen in scenes during which the mission is outlined, as well as during the initial landings, when a wounded black Marine is carried away.

During the end credits, historical photographs taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima show black Marines. Although black Marines fought in the battle, they were restricted to auxiliary roles, such as ammunition supply, and were not involved in the battle's major assaults; they did, however, take part in defensive actions.
According to Alexander M. Bielakowski and Raffaele Ruggeri, "Half a million African Americans served overseas during World War II, almost all in segregated second-line units." The number of African Americans killed in action was 708.

Steven Spielberg later intervened between the two directors, after which Lee even sent a copy of a film he was working on to Eastwood for a private screening as a seeming token of apology.

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Otherwise the recent on going strife {like the CSA flag in SC } and discord will and continues to make for a divided and hateful relationship between the people of the USA..
It is past time to get over it and start learning to love our neighbors....

**** Historical note:

Battle of Iwo Jima - Aftermath:

Japanese losses in the fighting for Iwo Jima are subject to debate with numbers ranging from 17,845 killed to as high as 21,570. During the fighting only 216 Japanese soldiers were captured. When the island was declared secured again on March 26, approximately 3,000 Japanese remained alive in the tunnel system. While some carried on limited resistance or committed ritual suicide, others emerged to scavenge for food. US Army forces reported in June that they had captured an additional 867 prisoners and killed 1,602. The final two Japanese soldiers to surrender were Yamakage Kufuku and Matsudo Linsoki who lasted until 1951.

American losses for Operation Detachment were a staggering 6,821 killed/missing and 19,217 wounded. The fighting for Iwo Jima was the one battle in which American forces sustained a greater number of total casualties than the Japanese.

A bloody victory, Iwo Jima provided valuable lessons for the upcoming Okinawa campaign. In addition, the island fulfilled its role as a way point to Japan for American bombers. During the final months of the war, 2,251 B-29 Superfortress landings occurred on the island. Due to heavy cost to take the island, the campaign was immediately subjected to intense scrutiny in the military and press.

This battle was a hall mark in US history showing unity and determination to over come the evil of an enemy who sought to destroy and dominate the United States!

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** Then on a note of disgrace....
So why should this country stand for or allow a recent 2015 - demoralizing photo of some {GAAAA} men duplicating the US Marine Flag raising upon Iwo Jima ???


 

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