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When I was in Egypt, I decided to read Flags of our Fathers. It is written by James Bradley who is the son of one of the flag raisers. Before reading this book I knew jack about Iwo Jima. The Iwo Jima photo everyone knows when they see it is of the picture that was taken by Joe Rosenthal. It's apparently the most reproduced image in history, and isn't even a picture of the original flag raising. Nevertheless, the story is incredible.

The book is about the men who are in that picture. It talks about their lives before the war, life as a marine in WWII, and what became of them after the war. I can't begin to describe how I felt while reading this book. It was one of the few times in my life where I felt actual immense gratitude for the sacrifices of those who fought and the many who died in the battle (it was one of the deadliest in American History). I really believe every American should read this book, but for now I'll leave you with a quote that was chiseled outside the cemetery where 3 of the flag raisers lay:

When you go home
Tell them for us and say
For your tomorrow
We gave our today