Flags Of Our Fathers
Opening Oct 20th

I tell ya, I can't wait to see this movie. From what I understand, what Saving Private Ryan did for Army vets of Normandy, Flags of Our Fathers will do for Marine vets of Iwo Jima. Namely, to tell a realistic story of what it was like to actually be there.

Like I've posted about in the past, one thing about the Battle of Iwo Jima that needs to be said to give an idea of what a epic battle that truly was, was the unbelievable casualty count.

In the War in Iraq, we've lost roughly a thousand men a year. On Iwo, the Marines lost a thousand men every 5 days. And the battle lasted a tad over a month long.

Here are some photos I had taken when I went on a battle study to Iwo Jima itself (click on the photos for greater detail). All of us Marines were just stunned that a battle could even have been fought on such hellish terrain. Both above and below ground. And what's really amazing, the average age of the Marine Corps in WWII was 18 years and 10 months old.

Atop Suribachi where our Marines raised Old Glory
The small concrete circle is right behind the monument.
This is the actual spot where the flag was raised
Japanese blockhouse. Notice all the bullet holes and shrapnel dings.
Next time you meet a WWII vet, make sure you say thanks. Those teen-agers really did save the world.