Anysone see the movie? I read the book and was looking forward to the movie. My Dad was a marine and I grew up knowing about Iwo Jima and the massive battle. I've always felt the WWII in Europe received more attention than the Pacific war. The enemy was very different, the German soldiers (not the wacked out NAzis) were very much like the American solider. If you read Band of Brothers (the book) it talks about how the American soldiers, upon entering Germany, could not beleive how American-like the average German was. The Japansese soliders were very different, they fought to the death and rarely surrendered. There was not the thought of returning home to their family after the war, their goal was to die. Compund that with dense jungles, tropical heat and disease. I hope this movie brings some attention to the war in the Pacific. I heard it had a lousy opening weekend.

I can't wait to see it. My Dad was not on Iwo, but he was first wave at Saipan and Pelelieu. Wounded both times. He was a Marine too. I got pictures he took on both islands. He drove a bulldozer and at Saipan when they misjudged the tide and coral reefs he was sent ashore in the bulldozer with welded plates around the seat and a Thompson as a weapon so grunts could follow him in. When he finally stopped he couldn't belive his eyes as there were bullet holes like swiss cheese in the plate all over but not a scratch on him.

He got one in the leg while on the same bulldozer piling up japanese bodies for burning. A sniper got him. Pelelieu he got stung twice in the calf of each leg, they sent him to New Zealand after that for R&R then to Tinian for guard duty on the airstrip, Watched the Enola Gay take off at 2 in the morning right over him as he sat in his jeep. Didn't know what all the fuss was about till the next day.

Wow flap... thats one hell of a story. I love listening to the old timers tell their stories. I had two uncles storm normandy but I never heard about it. they couldn't talk about it... their both dead now and from what my father tells me, they both came back different people. One just hit the bottle hard and never got over his shakes and PTS...

wow flap, cool stuff.

Good story Flap, my uncle was in ww2 (army) and marched across France. His most lasting memory was having wet feet from the day they landed till the day they left.

It is so hard to imagine, mostly teenage soldiers steaming across the ocean, getting dropped off in a foreign land on a beach under fire - friggin amazing - talk about everyday heros.

This thread is good timing. I'm right in the middle of the book (awesome book) and just sent this email to my Dad

you're gonna love this book dad, easy company didn't F around, one guy was 14 when joined marines, fooled recruiter by muscular looks, was driving trucks or something, the guy stalls away on one of the armada's boats headed for iwo jimo, no rifle, no gear, a bunch of supportive marines feed him on the way to iwo, jumps off boat, grabs dead rifle from fellow marine, the guy is now 17 by the way, advances with other marines, comes upon an ambush of 8 japanese soldiers, nails two guys right in the head, the japanese soldier throws a grenade @ him and the other marines, he buries the grenade in the sand, then another grenade comes, he buries that one and jumps on both grenades, KABOOM - shot up in the air about 20 feet, the other marines kill the japanese soldiers. they go to collect the guys dog tags and he's STILL ALIVE and conscious. 21 reconstructive surgeries later, he was the youngest medal of honor recipient in united states history at age 17 a freshman in high school. when asked 54 years later why he did it, his reply was simple "to save my buddies"

He had a brother in the Marines as well, my Uncle Joe, who came back a drunk and was till he died. He also had two sons go into the MARINES, one came back in a box, my brother John, and my Brother Richard is now retired in Florida. 10 days after my Brother John, his best friend David Roy, who gre up next door to us and who John had been best friends with since kindergarten through high school, joined the Marines together and went to NAM in the same platoon ahd who was with Joh when he died, was killed also. Last November we buried my 1st cousin Bertrand "Butch" Nadeau. He was in Nam same time as my bro John when John got killed, Butch was a Marine sniper with 22 registered kills, had the ears on a piece of wire dipped in varnish and hung on the wire. He succumbed to cancer from Agent Orange exposure at 56 years old. He lived with us when he was a kid cause his Mom, my aunt, was a f&cking nut case. My Dad was a big influence on him and that is why he joined the Marines.

My father let them all go, it was thier choice and thier right he told my mother. He told each one exactly what war was like, one on one before they left. He hated guns but knew that someone had to bear the responsibility of keeping us safe. Someone has to stand watch.

Myself, after visiting Parris Island to see my brothers graduate, I decided the Navy was going to be it when it came to my turn but the turn never came, Senator Kennedy and Congressman Tip O'Niel requested my draft card be sent to them right after I turned 18. They sent it to them and when I tried to sign up in the Navy I got a call from the recruiter saying they could not take me, even the Coast Guard wouldn't take me. There had been a hold put on anymore of my family being admitted to the service because of my brother John.

Flap -

Excellent reads, thanks....

Ice