Customer Reviews

The Bloody Battle for Suribachi: The Amazing Story of Iwo Jima that Inspired Flags of Our Fathers

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The re-release of "the Bloody Battle for Suribachi" is a wonderful edition to the collection of books written by Richard Wheeler. I know Wheeler personally, and at his age he has worked hard along with his 2nd cousin Jackie Russel. It is enlightening to see what inspiration can do for an aging Iwo Jima vet. He autographed a copy for my son. The inscription goes,"I hope that you cheerish your life the way I have cheerished mine." My son is 15 years old, it will be given to him at his high school graduation! Wheeler is finally getting the recognition that he so deserves!!
Steve Krott
PS.He is a hero to me and my family!!!!!!

This is a re-release of a book originally written in 1965. This review is based on my hardcopy version of this first hand account of the actions of 3rd Platoon, Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment fighting as part of the 5th Marine Division, who raised the first US flag over Mount Suribachi. The author was a member of this platoon and participated in the actions that are described, until being wounded before the flag raising itself. The book details the fighting of his unit during the first four days of fighting on Iwo Jima, culminating with the flag raising. This, the first of two flag raisings, has been overshadowed by the more famous second one because of the iconic photograph taken of the second flag raising. Half of the members of the platoon were present at the second flag raising and one man, John Bradley a Navy Corpsman assigned to the platoon, was one of the second flag raisers and, although not mentioned in this book, but mentioned in Wheeler's more comprehensive book on the fighting on Iwo Jima, the rest of the second flag raisers were also from Easy Company, but not from the third Platoon. While both flag raisings were important because they gave heart to the Marines and the nation, they only marked the end of the first phase of the battle, with much more fighting yet to come. In fact, most of the casualties of the Iwo Jima fighting occurred after the flag raisings.

The book gives an excellent picture of what it was to be a Marine fighting on Iwo Jima, containing photographs and very useful maps. It is a personal story of only one part of the battle, and as such it does not cover everything, but what it does cover it does well. Being a personal account, it does not have any details of the planning before the invasion of Iwo Jima, of naval actions before or after the fighting, or of the fighting of other units or even of his own unit after the flag raising. These details are covered in Richard Wheeler more comprehensive account about the battle for Iwo Jima, "Iwo", and I also recommend that book.