NetFlix brought me the first of a two-fer of Clint Eastwood directed WWII movies, Flags of Our Fathers, recently. The flag to which the title refers was raised on Mount Suribachi on the brutally contested Pacific Island of Iwo Jima. A picture of the American flag being raised was instantly famous, and gave hope to a war-weary country. The folks that raised the flag were touted as heroes, and the U.S. Government marketed them as such to help sell bonds to pay for the war. But war is Hell, even for heroes, and the pressures of the tour and the images of horrible deaths of their buddies haunted the survivors of Iwo Jima. The most famous of the trio of flag raisers that survived the battle was Ira Hayes. Hayes' most distinguishing feature to people at the time was that he was Native American, not a popular thing to be in America in the 1940's. Hayes ultimately succumbed to alcoholism and died ignominiously face down in the dirt some years later. Good flick. 'Course, Johnny Cash had this pretty well covered many years ago.Monday, May 4, 2009
Ira Hayes.
NetFlix brought me the first of a two-fer of Clint Eastwood directed WWII movies, Flags of Our Fathers, recently. The flag to which the title refers was raised on Mount Suribachi on the brutally contested Pacific Island of Iwo Jima. A picture of the American flag being raised was instantly famous, and gave hope to a war-weary country. The folks that raised the flag were touted as heroes, and the U.S. Government marketed them as such to help sell bonds to pay for the war. But war is Hell, even for heroes, and the pressures of the tour and the images of horrible deaths of their buddies haunted the survivors of Iwo Jima. The most famous of the trio of flag raisers that survived the battle was Ira Hayes. Hayes' most distinguishing feature to people at the time was that he was Native American, not a popular thing to be in America in the 1940's. Hayes ultimately succumbed to alcoholism and died ignominiously face down in the dirt some years later. Good flick. 'Course, Johnny Cash had this pretty well covered many years ago.
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2 comments:
Yes, I know the story of Ira Hayes, and I first learned about it through that song. Ira Hayes for all the world reminds me of Muhammad Ali. He came back from the Olymipics with his gold medal and was still a ni&&er in Louisville, Ky.
We are a great country, but we have never been perfect, thank God we have people like SuperDave to defend those that don't have means, and I mean that!
BTW, I think you'll like part two, Letters from Iwo Jima as well.
Thanks, A-Man. It's mighty good that kids have teachers like you to maximize the chances that they won't need me later. I'm also looking forward to Part II. Prolly watch it Wednesday or Thursday.
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