2012
The American Flag’s Most Timeless Photograph
‘Flags of Our Fathers’ Author Describes Learning of His Dad’s Quiet Courage Flags of Our Fathers (2000) is a New York Times bestselling book. The book, written by James Bradley with Ron Powers, follows the lives of the five Marines and one United States Navy Corpsman who raised the American Flag at Iwo Jima. This moment happened after one of the costliest and most horrifying battles of World War II’s Pacific Theater. It was captured in one of the most iconic pictures in American history, representing our united will for victory and our brotherhood in arms. The Navy Corpsman, who would eventually be made famous by Joe Rosenthal’s lauded photograph of the American flag rising at Iwo Jima, is John Bradley the author’s father. The book was published in May of 2000 and spent 46 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction best seller list, spending six weeks at number one. Initially James Bradley’s book was rejected by publishers, but went on to be a great commercial success and was turned into a movie by director Clint Eastwood. James Bradley spoke at the Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation Leadership Luncheon last Thursday. The event recognized the achievements of Wauwatosa students as … 
