FooF

[stinger85]

FooF or Flags of our Fathers is a story about the six men that raised the second flag over Mt. Suribachi during the battle of Iwo Jima. It was an extremely graphich, gritty, and realistic portral of the battle, and what the men went through after the war when they were proclaimed heroes. I highly recommend this for war movie fans and fans of Saving Private Ryan

[CAC001]

Yeah, I want to see this movie but my family doesn't go to the movies much, so all I can do is hope for the best. From the previews it looks like a pretty good movie.

[destinywarrior]

I went to see this movie and i really liked it. it was probably one of the better movies ive seen in a long time id recommend people to see it strongly

[cac007]

what i dont get is that they should get some of the real hero's the ones who raised the flag first and the man who cought it all on tap Marine Corps photographer Sergeant Lou Lowery captured this first flag raising on film just as the enemy hurled a grenade in his direction. Dodging the grenade, Lowery hurled his body over the edge of the crater and tumbled 50 feet. His camera lens was shattered, but he and his film were safe, he captured the first flag raising and i think his story would be much better.

[CAC001]

I'd have to disagree about either of the men who raised flags on Iwo Jima being heroes. They were just the first survivors to the top of a hill, and raised a flag. There were still hundreds dying and getting shot at all around the island. I've seen interviews with the other Marines where they said they didn't give a damn if the flag was raised or not, they were under fire. Granted those men who raised the flags went through a lot to get to that point, much credit should also be given to the piles of dead comrades they climbed through before reaching the summit, they were the true heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

[wheziestmoney]

well when they were going to the sumit there was literally NO fire for the japanese were all on other parts of the island and in their tunnel system so heroics was not a big deal it was just the fact that these flag raisings upped the moal of all the men dying to take the island

[stinger85]

Iwo Jima February 1945. Atop the windy volcanoe of Mt. Suribachi, a flag was raised. Everyone cheered, ships honked ther horns, the wounded raised there hands and cheered with all ther might. And then, a senator came on to the shores and said "I want that flag, it means the next 500 years of Marine history." A replacement flag was run up by Private Rene Gagnon. Mike Strank, Ira Hayes, Doc Bradley, Franklin Sousley, and Harlon Block were running a field telephone wire up the side of the mountain. Rene caught them and said that the colonel had told them to put a replacement flag up. This they did. Joe rosenthal snapped a picture off at exactly the right moment. A few minutes later he gathered everybody up around the flag, even the raisers of the first and told them all to cheer and look happy. This he took a picture of as well. Then off went his film. A few days later Mike Strank was killed by friendly mortar fire, Harlon Block had his intestins blown out and Franklin Sousley was sniped in the neck. Rene Gagnon, Doc Bradley, and Ira Hayes wre sent home to raise war bonds. Everyone hailed them as heroes, which they were not to keen on. Rene Gagnon never saw open combat, he was just a runner. Doc Bradley and Ira hayes were heroes, as is eveyone though that stands in a combat zone and risks being slaughtered. They however still held on to the thought that the dead ones were the heroes, as does my father of his friends in Vietnam. The story isn't about them as heroes. It is about how they deal with being called heroes, and how they disagree with the new found fame.

Also it is important to realize the second flag did nothing for anybody. Most people didnt even know another was raised. The first flag though everybody rallied to. You cannot say though that there was not a single hero on that island. Ralph Ignatowski, Doc Bradley's friend was captured by the Japanesse. They came through one of there tunnels, grabbed him, and tortured him. They cut his thingy off and shoved it in his mouth. They pulled his finger nails out, the lacerated him. They gouged his eyes out, they did tons to this poor man.
yes it is true that there was no fire while going up the mountain on the marines. This was not because the Japs were other places. It was because they wanted to corner the one squad and elimenate them. It was just a fact that we sent up a few more people and this ruined the Japs plan.

The bottom line is though, that the guys that raised the flags are heroes, the guys that died in the tunnels are heroes, the guys that were cut down on the beach are heroes, the fliers shot down are heroes, everyone there was a heroe. Unlike Normandy where within 24 hours of the battle you could drink a cup of coffee, the beach of Iwo Jima was deadly the whole battle

[wheziestmoney]

The WHOLE battle for the island lasted about a month i believe because i saw something on the history channel that told of some of the TRUE heroics that went on there. Now i understand that raising the flag was a big rise in teh spirit of the men on the island but the spirit quickly left as the japanese were determined to kill every last american on Iwo.