Author James Bradley Tells Imus Who The Real Heroes of Iwo Jima Are

Sixty-five years ago today, James Bradley’s father John raised the American flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, which hosted one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.  That moment was captured forever in an iconic photograph, and dictated the course Bradley’s life, not to mention some world history.

“My first book, ‘Flags of our Fathers’ was about that,” he said of the flag-raising. He also wrote “Flyboys,” about a small group of American Navy and Marine aviators who were shot down off the coast of Japan in 1945. They all died except for one—George H.W. Bush—who escaped.

In his most recent book, “The Imperial Cruise,” Bradley attempted to trace the course of events that landed his father and many others in Japan in the first place. What he discovered was nothing short of surprising, if for no other reason than because it has gone largely ignored for more than a century.

“Theodore Roosevelt agreed to a secret treaty in Japan in 1905 that green-lit the problem that would be World War II in the Pacific,” Bradley said. “He said to the Japanese military, ‘Go ahead and expand into Asia.’”

In fact, Bradley believes the Nobel Peace Prize awarded Roosevelt for brokering peace between Russia and Japan was obtained under false pretenses, since Roosevelt was simultaneously agreeing to secret treaties with Japan, The prize should therefore be removed from the Roosevelt Room, in Bradley’s opinion, and he has contacted the White House curator “a number of times” to tell him so.

“I bet they think that you have lost your mind,” Imus told his guest.

He might be crazy, but Bradley also had a point. “If you take 9/11, and we find out Richard Nixon, 40 years before, had a secret agreement with the Osama Bin Laden family, I think we’d make some connections and do something about it,” he said.

American history points to Japanese expansionism in Asia as the reason for U.S. military involvement in the Pacific in World War II; Bradley cites President Theodore Roosevelt’s support of Japan in 1905 as the catalyst for their expansionist mindset.

While the iconic photo of the flag at Iwo Jima symbolizes victory for many Americans, it meant something completely different to the late John Bradley.

“Three of those boys who raised the flag on Iwo Jima were buried there; two died very young,” Bradley said, and recalled a lesson his father taught him at a tender age.

“He looked at me like he wanted to embed an idea in my nine-year old brain,” said Bradley. “And he said, ‘You know, I want you to always remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who didn’t come back.’”

-Julie Kanfer



Comments

[Doug Canada]

You bunch of roaches
First you mock our hockey team on Monday...USA has a population base 50 times bigger than Canada
Then...after you say your staff can't find Righteous Brother's record....I send 25 emails showing where its available
What happens....you give Little Lew Raf ino all the credit
Where's Dagen's hatchet when you need it
angry Canuck
Doug

[Doug Canada]

Dear Mr Imus
Sorry Sorry Sorry
Just got a call from the "godfather" and I take it all back
Please Rob.....leave my horse alone
I will be good
doug