Human Life

Human Life

Doc Bradley was the last of the survivors to die, in 1994. James Bradley uncovered the story of his father's heroism by accident when going through his papers. He discovered his father had won the Navy Cross, the Navy's second-highest honor for gallantry and bravery for his actions during World War II.

This sent James Bradley on a four-year trek to discover the truth behind his father's actions. His journey ended when he placed the memorial on Iwo Jima.

Ultimately, this is a story of truth, not media coverage. It can best be summed up by a quote from the book as these marines prepare to go overseas to fight at Iwo Jima:

"Behind them, in safe America, Bing Crosby sang of a white Christmas, just like the ones he used to know. Ahead lay a hot island of black sand, where many of them would ensure a long future of Christmases in America by laying down their lives".

What most Americans will never understand is that no one hates war more than the military service member. It is he/she, after all, who must die to protect the freedom we so richly enjoy.

The book explains why such sacrifice is often necessary, and is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand why freedom has such a high price. For everyone else, it's a compelling read about men who considered themselves ordinary and only wanted to do their jobs the best way they knew how.

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