Perspective

"Flags of Our Fathers" is written in the third-person narrative. The author of the book, James Bradley, is the son of one of the six Marines who hoisted the make-shift flagpole affixed with an American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima during World War II. A photo of the event became one of the most iconic images in the history of America. At first blush, one would think that James Bradley would be at a great advantage in writing this book because his father was one of the principal characters. Not so in this case. Jack "Doc" Bradley virtually refused to talk with anyone about his experiences or about the flag-raising event that made him a national hero. What compelled James Bradley to write the story was his father's silence about it. Why did his father refuse to talk, even to his own family, about the incident...