Easy Company takes the flag up Mt. Suribachi; they had been fighting for 4 days and had already suffered 40% casualties.
Hi Everyone,
Our September book club convened on Wednesday, September 28, at Ginnie’s house in Chicora. Members in attendance in addition to Ginnie were Cheryl, Jody, Lori, Sharon, and me. Our selection Flags of Our Fathers; Heroes of Iwo Jima by James Bradley, provided a biographical account of the 6 flag raisers immortalized by their famous photo, raising the American flag on Iwo Jima. Clearly, a heartfelt work of love in memory of his father, Bradley’s book will affect every reader who peruses its pages. For the young, it will spark patriotism; for the middle-aged, it will remind them of their heritage; and for the old, it will take them home.
My son-in-law, a US Naval Officer, read Bradley’s book, and I am certain its contents have inspired in him an even stronger passion for the service he is now giving to our country. My mother read it and through its pages, she relived the years of her youth: watching 4 brothers leave for WWII and only 3 return, standing in the Pittsburgh train depot when Joseph Getz said his last goodbye, rationing everything from tin foil to sugar in an effort to provide for the overseas troops, and the gold star that hung in the window of their home. For me, a middle aged baby boomer, born 15 years following the end of WWII, Flags of Our Fathers has reminded me of a patriotism I learned mostly through tears and music. My step father, sitting along the street in a wheel chair, a James Bradley type, a quiet and peaceful man, would cry streams of tears when the soldiers marched past our house every year in the Memorial Day parade. Charlie, a US Air Force veteran, most likely, was remembering the scene of his plane crashing to the ground or anguished faces of his buddies dying on the fields of battle. Words were not necessary for me as a child to learn patriotism; affected by the flowing tears of a war veteran, I learned through empathy. Also, a large part of my music education in public school was patriotic hymns. I sang them robustly as we were taught to understand the message the lyrics represented, unwavering loyalty to our country.
I highly recommend that everyone take the time to read Flags of Our Fathers; I would especially recommend it for required reading in high schools. Those who read it, get ready to weep. Weep for the young, who do not yet understand patriotism; weep for the middle-aged, those who were raised without fathers as they died serving our country; and most of all, weep for the old and deceased, all of the great, war heroes of WWII who did nothing less than save our world.
“Celebrities seek fame. They take actions to get attention. But heroes are heroes because they have risked something to help others.”
For those who missed out on the September read, try to get a head start on our October pick, The Blue Notebook. Written by another James, James Levine, it deals with the shocking social issue of child sex slavery. Through the poignant journal of a 15 year old Indian teen, the young girl writes to cope with her daily life of forced sexual service to ten men. We may be mortified by some of the passages in this novel, but one aspect of book club is to open our eyes to the realities of other cultures and human situations. We will meet to discuss our views on this disturbing story on Monday, October 18, at 6:30 P.M. Join us at my house, 250 Old Plank Road, the site of the first book club held six years ago in October of 2004!
Yours in reading,
Tammy
P.S. Attached is the updated list of books for our six years as a club, and don’t forget you can also find the list at our blog address http://tsmithkcwwbc.blogspot.com/
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