Have you ever seen the photograph of the six men putting up "Old Glory" on the island of Iwo Jima? The book Flags of Our Fathers tells about the lives of these men, from when they were first born to when they became our nation's heroes. The battle of Iwo Jima was a terrible battle that killed a lot of United States Marines, but finally ended with a victory for the United States of America.
Six young Marines raised the replacement flag at Iwo Jima. They were six very different men, united to fight the war as Marines. These Marines did not know it, but the picture of them putting up the replacement flag on top of Mount Suribachi would be a phenomenon.
One of the men was Ira Hayes. He was a Pima Indian born and raised in Arizona. He was a very quiet man, and a little mysterious.
English: US Postage Stamp commemorating the Victor...
English: Close up view of Mount Suribachi on Iwo J...
English: Memorial to Marines who fought in the Bat...When Pearl Harbor was bombed he felt the need to protect his family and his friends, so he joined the United States Marines. He later became a paratrooper and received USMC Paratrooper wings. However, later in the war, when duty called, Ira was there at Iwo Jima fighting with his fellow Marines to protect his nation. The war was hard for Ira, as well as for other Marines, but he made it to Mount Suribachi and helped the Marines raise the United States' flag. When he got home he did not like the attention the photograph on Mount Suribachi brought him. Ira started drinking a lot and was put in jail several times for being drunk and disorderly. One day after playing cards and drinking Ira was found faced down in a pile of his own blood and vomit. The coroner eventually said Ira died from too much...