Corpsman!
For God sakes! Corpsman!
Corpsman!
Honey, what's wrong?
Every jackass thinks he knows what war is.
Especially those who've never been in one.
We like things nice and simple,
good and evil, heroes and villains.
There's always plenty of both.
Most of the time, they are not who we think they are.
Where is he?
Where... Where is he? Where is he?
Mr. Bradley?
Mr. B? You okay?
- Where is he? - Where is who?
Where is he? Where did he go? Where... Where is he?
All right. Just stay right here, okay?
I'm gonna call an ambulance. It'll be okay.
Where is he?
Most guys I knew would never talk about what happened over there.
Probably 'cause they're still trying to forget about it.
They certainly didn't think of themselves as heroes.
They died without glory.
Nobody has taken their pictures.
Only their buddies knew what they did.
I'd tell their folks they died for their country.
I'm not sure that was it.
Now, there were plenty other photos taken that day,
but none anybody wanted to see.
What we see and do in war,
the cruelty, is unbelievable.
But somehow we gotta make some sense of it.
To do that, we need a easy to understand truth
and damn few words.
Film's ruined.
I don't know. This one looks all right.
And if you can get a picture...
Now, the right picture can win or lose a war.
You're gonna want to see this.
Look at Vietnam.
The picture of that South Vietnamese officer
blowing that fella's brains out of the side of his head, whammo!
That was it.
The war was lost.
We just hung around trying to pretend it wasn't.
Took a lot of other pictures that day. None of them made a difference.
Thanks. Appreciate it.
Sounds ridiculous, but it happened.
Country was bankrupt.
People were becoming cynical and tired of war.
Oh, my Lord, that's Harlon!
Where?
Right there. Planting that flag, that's your brother.
Ma, all you can see is his behind.
And that's his. I powdered and diapered it, I know my son.
That's him. Go get your father.
Daddy, Ma's got a picture of Harlon's keister in the paper.
You watch your mouth, young man.
Thank you.
One photo, almost all on its own, turned that around.
It's on the front page of every major paper.
Over 200 dailies and they're all flooded with requests for prints.
I think we might have found it.
Corpsman!
- I gotta go get him. - Oh, no, you don't.
Iggy, I gotta go.
I have a whole different theory.
He wants medical attention bad enough, he'll come to us.
Shut up and crawl over here, you lazy son-of-a-bitch!
As soon as that flare goes out.
- Crap. Okay, well, I'll go with you. - No.
You're actually gonna leave me here?
I'll be right back, just shoot some people. I gotta go.
Oh, God.
Okay, it's okay.
Don't touch them. Don't touch them.
Get your hands out of there. Let me do that. I'll do it, okay?
Don't look. Keep your head back. Keep your eyes on me.
All right, look at me. I'll get it. I'll take care of it.
We'll get this bandage on you. We'll get you taken care of.
And we'll get you down to the bottom, all right?
Look, you're gonna be fine.
It's okay.
I'll do that. I'll do that.
Here, put some pressure on that.
Put your hands on top and put some pressure on it.
Keep your head back. Keep breathing.
Keep looking at me, all right? Just keep looking at...
Doc.
Help me.
All right. Okay.
How's that feel?
- It feels good. - It does? All right.
- Good. - All right.
I'm gonna go get a stretcher and get you down to the beach. I'll be right back.
I'm all right.
Go and help someone who's hurt.
All right. Hold on there.
- Where'd he go? - Who?
The guy who was right here, Ignatowski. Where did he go?
- I think you jumped in the wrong hole. - I didn't jump in the wrong hole!
He was right here, now where the hell is he?
Iggy!
You shut up. You want every Jap on the island shooting at us?
Iggy!
Holy shit.
They expect us to climb this?
Or something just like it.
So, where you think they're sending us?
I think it's the desert, Franklin.
Well, that makes no sense at all.
Well, it's just military psychology.
They always train you for the desert on a volcano.
Now you're just having fun with me.
Harlon, take your men right.
- Watch for Bedouins. - Yes, sir.
- What's a Bedouin? - It's a guy with a camel.
Well, Jeez Louise, maybe we are going to the desert.
Now, you tilt that to the right, but what if the bullet comes from the left?
Bullets don't come from the left. You know any left-handed Japs?
That makes about as much sense as you showering with your shoes on.
You don't even know why you do it, do you?
'Cause I don't tell you mean I don't know?
You do it 'cause Mike does it.
I'll ask him.
So you cut hair back home?
Some.
Training to be a barber, are you, Doc?
No, I just studied it a little.
But not in barber school?
Nope.
- Gosh. - Let me guess, Hayes is winning.
Chief, I had very little to do with Sitting Bull's death,
so maybe you could stop taking it out on me.
Different tribe. The Pimas fought on the side of the white man.
- See, now that's smart. - That is smart.
Yeah. Worked real good for us.
Good luck, fellas.
Hey, good night, Lindberg.
Dead bodies. He cuts hair on dead bodies.
What? Even I knew that.
- Who's in? - Oh, I'm in. I'm in.
It must be a lot easier with them not moving around and all.
- There's that. - Yeah.
You know what I been thinking?
Well, they been telling us we need to buddy up
and I think we'd make pretty good buddies.
And how do you figure that?
Well, you know, in that we have a lot in common.
So, why do you cut dead people's hair, anyway?
I'm studying to work in a funeral home.
You tell a lot of people that?
You actually chose the Marines because they got the best uniform?
No sense being a hero if you don't look like one.
Jacks.
Queens.
Shit.
Do anything on that reservation but play cards, Chief?
All right, listen up, you sorry bunch of leathernecks!
We practice going over the side tomorrow
which means we ain't long for this piece of rock.
All right!
One more thing, any man who doesn't have his masturbation papers in order
better get them signed by tomorrow night or he ain't going overseas.
- I got mine already. - Oh, yeah. I'm square.
Wait. Why am I just hearing about this?
That's horseshit, Franklin. I don't have to repeat everything twice for you.
No, I didn't hear nothing about no masturbating papers.
Heard they were running short.
You know, nobody tells me nothing. That's real nice, guys.
All right, get your ass over to the officer in charge of records.
Maybe he got some more left.
- Leave your smokes. I'll play for you. - Thanks, Mike.
Listen, he calls you an idiot, you take it like a man, okay?
Just do not leave without signing them.
- I appreciate it, Sergeant. - You got it.
What the hell happened to your hair, Rene?
Look like a goddamn corpse.
Three points of contact on that rope at all times.
Next four. Over the side.
Let's go. Keep moving.
Next four, over the side.
Just keep your eye on the guy below you.
That's all you gotta look at.
Watch me, Doc, just watch me.
Keep three points of contact on the rope at all times.
You see? No big thing.
Just one step at a time and keep your hands on the vertical rope.
Remember, once you're in the boat move away from the rope.
Just make sure you keep three points of contact on the rope.
I got him!
All right, get that man out of the water.
Give me a hand.
Grab his pack.
Don't worry about him, Doc.
All right, quit skylarking! Keep it moving!
He'll be fine.
Our target, Island X,
is an ugly, smelly, dirty little scab of rock called Iwo Jima.
It means "Sulfur Island," which accounts for the smell.
Looks sort of like a burnt pork chop, you ask me.
After 20 straight days of bombing
you won't find a blade of grass or a twig on it.
It wasn't that pretty to start with.
Captain?
Iwo's just five-and-a-half miles long, two-and-a-half wide.
There's a lump down at the bottom. That's Mount Suribachi.
On the maps in front of you the island is white.
Not much of it.
The black dots represent known enemy emplacements.
Coastal defense guns, dual-mount dual-purpose guns,
covered artillery emplacements.
Rifle pits, foxholes, antitank guns
machine guns, blockhouses, pillboxes, and earth-covered structures.
I don't see any barracks or any other structures.
That's right.
And we still don't know why.
Now, this isn't just any island to them.
This isn't Tarawa, Guam, Tinian, or Saipan.
This is Japanese soil, sacred ground.
Twelve thousand Japanese defenders in eight square miles.
They will not leave politely, gentlemen.
It's up to us to convince them.
The 28th will land here at Green Beach.
The 8th Ammo Company will land here to re-supply.
The Suribachi's guns are the biggest problem.
They can hit any point on the island.
We're sitting ducks until we take them out.
That's our job.
We cut across the island, right at the base, slit its throat, lop off its head.
And we take that mountain.
We take that mountain, we take their big guns.
We take their eyes.
Okay, I'm heading in. Follow me.
Let's put a good show on for the Marines.
Close it up. Take it right down to the deck.
Yeah, boys!
Man overboard portside!
See him?
Throw me a line!
He's right there.
- Where is he? - Watch out, watch out, watch out.
Hawaii's that way!
Just keep paddling, Mac, we'll catch you on the way back!
Hold on, they're gonna lower a raft!
They're not gonna stop.
What?
None of them are. They can't.
So much for "No man left behind. "
- Sir. - Come on in.
Look, I've had to make a few other changes.
I'm promoting you to platoon sergeant.
- Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. - You bet.
Trouble is, I already told my men I'd see them through this.
That your James Cagney impersonation?
'Cause I've heard better.
Well, I'll keep practicing, then.
Look, this isn't your first time through this.
- You don't need to prove anything. - No, sir.
You're not the best sergeant I've ever had,
you're just the best one that's still walking.
- Block's a good man. - Yes, sir, he is.
The men know him, he can step right in.
You know, I have actually thought this through.
Platoon sergeant puts you further away from the bullets.
I already gave them my word, sir.
I told them I'd bring them all home to their mothers
which means I already lied to half of them. Can't lie to the rest.
- How are your men? - They'll do fine.
Except maybe Gagnon.
Our own Tyrone Power?
Yes, sir. He's a good man, just might be better use further back from the lines.
I'll use him as a runner.
All right. Thank you, sir.
Now get out of here.
Hear the good news, Doc? We're going in with the first waves.
Hey, you do that again I'll take your head off!
Fucking dominoes.
Iggy, have you ever heard news you considered to be bad?
The first ones off the ship, Doc.
Means we don't go over the side of the ship.
We hop on a tractor, they drive us right there.
Oh, shit, that is good news.
You see? What'd I tell you?
What's going on?
Look at that.
We're killing them!
We're killing them, Doc.
I was promised 10 days of shelling.
You're giving me three and saying that's the best you can do?
I don't give a shit! My men hit that beach with less than 10
and I'll be taking them home to their mamas in buckets!
Yeah, I know exactly why.
Because every Navy man with a scrambled egg on his chest
wants to offload us here and sail to Japan
so they can be there for the big finish,
tell their kids they captured the Emperor all by themselves.
Well, you aren't going to Japan unless we take this piece of shit island!
These little pricks are dug in!
Okay, appreciate that, Jim. Three days is a fucking beautiful thing.
Sharpen your knife or bayonet?
I'm okay.
Sharpen your knife or bayonet?
Jesus, Iggy, just leave me alone, all right?
How about you guys? Knife? Bayonet? Kick in the ass?
How about you, Doc? Sharpen your knife?
You sharpened it three times already.
Well, then I better make sure I didn't nick it.
Good man, Doc.
- Hey, Doc. - Yeah.
When we land, try not to wave this kit around too much.
They got sharpshooters that are trained to look for them.
And they know that if they take out a corpsman
another dozen Marines will die unattended. All right?
Okay, Mike.
Yeah, right there.
Close the damn door. For God's sake.
Yeah, like that's gonna help.
That your girlfriend, Chief?
Bet she's a pretty damn good-looking squaw.
Bet you're missing her, and that little wigwam of yours.
Welcome, all Marines off Iwo Jima.
We have a long-time wait...
It's what they do to prisoners,
- at least the lucky ones. - Jesus.
If I were you, cowpokes, I wouldn't think about waving a white bandanna.
Poor Marines, so far from home for no good reason.
Think of your girls back home, waiting for you.
But a girl cannot stay home every night.
So who do you think they're with tonight?
And will she let him kiss her? And will he comfort her at your funeral?
This sweet music is to make you think of your girls back home
who are missing you.
This is all for now. I'll see you tomorrow night.
Gunners!
Move, let's go! Let's go, get up on the berm!
Gunners!
We're clear!
Get up the berm!
Baker Company, move out!
- Seen Second Platoon? - I don't see them.
First Squad, move it out!
God, this place reeks.
- Go, go, go! - Move out!
Go, go, go, go! Go, go! Go! Go, go! Drop your packs! Go!
All clear!
- Jesus, you needed some exercise? - He got lost.
A hundred landing craft heading for one beach and this guy gets lost.
Now I'm glad we did. Jesus, what a mess.
Any theories why they ain't shooting?
It's getting on my nerves.
Maybe they're all dead.
What do you think, Doc? You think they're all dead?
Mike, take six men and bring that gun onto the beach.
Second Platoon, let's move out! Stay down. Come on.
Move! Move!
- Get down! - Take cover!
Move out!
Cover fire! Pour it on!
Ray, shift your fire to the right, now!
Corpsman!
I'm gonna sling your arm and then I'll give you a shot for the pain!
Move, move! Off the beach!
Take cover!
You got a girl back home, Marine?
We're gonna make sure she sees you, all right?
I need pressure on this wound!
Where's the fire coming from?
Where are they?
Look for a flash, shoot at it!
Let's go, let...
Twelve o'clock, take out the bunker!
You're over!
Third Squad, forward! Move!
Where are they, sir?
We got ten o'clock! Ten o'clock, pillbox! Sergeant!
- Sergeant! I think I can clear that out. - What?
All right, you go. Here.
Take these. Check your weapon.
Yeah? Go! Cover!
Cover him!
Cover, cover!
Son-of-a-bitch.
Let's go! Go!
Move it out!
Go, go, go!
Down, down, down!
It's clear.
Good work.
I thought you said it was clear!
It was!
Shit, I guess they're not in there firing at us then.
Lindberg!
Yeah!
Light it up!
I'll cover you, Ice!
Don't cover shit! There's already enough people shooting!
One bullet and this thing goes up like a Roman candle!
Go! Shift fire!
Shift your fire!
Go, go! Shift your fire!
Shift your fire!
Go! Move it out!
Hit the deck! Stay down! Wait for support!
Is this a bad battle or what?
It's a fucking slaughter.
Christ Jesus!
Get a machine gun team set up over here, now!
Thank God! Tanks!
Runner! Get those tanks up here!
Oh, shit.
Get down!
Corporal, watch your left flank!
Let's go without them! Move out! Move out!
Iggy, you gotta lift your side, he's gonna roll off.
Got it, Doc!
Incoming!
Move, move, move, move!
Keep moving!
Get that LVT up on the beach!
Keep moving!
You're next, pal, we're getting you out of here.
Move it!
Great news.
Maybe if you live up on Camp Tarawa, 'cause that's where we're headed.
Not you and me.
Captain Severance asked me who else was in that picture,
and Christ if I could remember,
but it was Mike and Doc and Franklin and me and Hank Hansen
but I just remembered, you were there, too.
I wasn't there.
'Course you were.
Neither was Hank. He raised the first flag.
It was Harlon Block that raised that one.
Shit. I told them it was Hank.
You weren't there, Mr. Smart Ass, how'd you know it was Harlon?
- You tell them it was me? - No. Like I said, I just remembered.
Good, keep your mouth shut.
They know there was somebody else, you can see it in the picture.
Then pick someone dead.
They don't want somebody dead, you dumb redskin,
they want to ship us back to the States.
What did I tell you?
I wasn't there.
- You hear? - All right.
Just settle down.
- I'm not going anywhere. - You're not going anywhere.
Who the hell says?
This is horseshit.
You wounded, son?
No, sir.
Well, did you take out a nest of Japs butt-naked with your bare hands?
'Cause if I'm gonna give up my seat to a hero
he better have a good goddamn story to tell.
No, sir.
Then enjoy it, 'cause they'll forget you before Christmas.
The sixth man, you got a name?
Sorry, still don't remember.
It's a damn shame, 'cause I promised the Major you'd know who it was.
Fact, you not knowing throws a doubt on you
being one of the flag-raisers yourself.
Since no one wants to be embarrassed, the moment you land
they'll turn you around, ship you off to Okinawa
in time to meet your buddies on the beach.
So, why don't you stop screwing with me? Give me a damn name.
Gangway! Gangway! Let's go, let's go! Gangway!
Where the hell is that son-of-a-bitch? Hayes! Hayes?
Hayes, get your red ass over here!
Make me look like I don't know what my own men are doing
with a flag the size of my mother's house?
God damn it, Ira, you shouldn't have lied to me.
You made me look like a complete asshole.
We're gonna miss you around here. Good luck.
Now your name's in the paper, too.
Just heard your doctor say we're postponing your operation.
You're being shipped back to the mainland.
Everybody who saw that picture thought planting the flag meant victory.
That's all they wanted to know. Victory.
Within a few weeks of that picture being taken, half the men in it were dead.
Mrs. Hansen! Mrs. Hansen! Did you know Hank was a hero?
- Are you proud of him, Mrs. Hansen? - What was he like as a boy?
Look this way, please, ma'am.
What do you have to say about your son?
But somehow being a part of it meant something.
Looking at it, you could believe their sacrifice was not a waste.
Yeah, I might have thought that was Harlon, too.
It is.
Belle, their names are right here. It's not him.
And he would be alive and sitting right here if it wasn't for you.
You think about that when you look at his picture, Ed.
And I need to rush home and change
because there's the Governor's banquet and then there's the parade.
Imagine, the Governor is coming here to meet us.
Now, I'm wearing blue so, if...
- Are you going to change? - We interrupt this program to bring you
a special news bulletin from CBS World News.
A press association has just announced that President Roosevelt is dead.
The President died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
All we know so far is that the President died at Warm Springs in Georgia.
Further updates every hour.
Temperatures will remain the same today,
in the mid-30s to low 40s with clear skies.
Hello?
Yes. Of course.
No, we understand. It wouldn't be right.
Thank you.
Here he is, gentlemen. Senator Boyd, Senator Robson.
Senator Haddigan. I'd like you to meet Private First Class Ira Hayes.
Damn good to meet you.
Proud to make your acquaintance, son.
Sorry?
That's Pima Indian talk, boy, don't you know your own language?
Took forever to memorize the damn gibberish.
Sorry, I've been away from the reservation too long, Senator.
- Doc. - Ira.
And now, the heroes of Iwo Jima!
- That's you. - Go, go, go, go. Go.
Please welcome
Navy Corpsman John "Doc" Bradley,
Private First Class Ira Hayes,
Private First Class Rene Gagnon!
Holy shit.
Come in, come in, come in. Bud Gurber, Treasury Department.
- Rene Gagnon. - Bud Gurber.
- You showing the boys the sights? - We saw a hell of a ball game.
That's great. The bar's there, help yourself.
I got some briefing sheets for you here,
just some simple things we want you to say.
Mostly, "Buy bonds," can't say that too often.
Itineraries, those are changing every couple minutes.
Everybody wants to meet you guys.
I got women sending up envelopes with stockings in them,
notes written in lipstick. We won't mention that to the press, am I right?
Have a drink, for Christ's sake.
My God, what you boys must have seen over there.
I've been watching the newsreels.
Jesus Christ, that was a fight and a half.
So, we got a hell of a lot of money to raise, not a lot of time.
White House tomorrow, then we trot you over
to shake hands with a couple of hundred Congressmen
who won't pull a penny out of their pockets.
Politicians and actors.
You put them in a restaurant together,
they'd die of old age before picking up the check.
Then New York City, Times Square,
dinners with various hoi polloi, then Chicago...
Who are these "Gold Star Mothers"?
That's what we're calling the mothers of the dead flag-raisers.
You present each mother with a flag,
they say a few words, people will shit money.
It'll be so moving.
But this says Hank Hansen's mom.
Lovely woman. She knows how close you and her son were.
He wrote home about you.
She is very, very much looking forward to meeting you.
Hank wasn't in the picture.
Sorry?
Hank didn't raise that flag.
He raised the other one, the real flag.
The what? The real... The real flag? There's a real flag?
Yeah, ours was the replacement flag.
We put it up when they took the other one down.
Am I the only one getting a headache here? You know about this?
It was after it was already in the papers.
The mothers had already been told, but...
That's it, that's beautiful. Yeah, that's beautiful.
Yeah, why tell me?
I'm only the guy that has to explain it to 150 million Americans.
Who is in the goddamn picture?
Are any of you guys in the goddamn picture?
Yeah, we're in the goddamn picture.
Six guys raising a flag over Iwo Jima. Victory is ours.
You're three of them, right?
This was the fifth day, sir. The battle went on for 35 more.
Well, what'd you do, raise a goddamn flag every time you stopped for lunch?
Can I hit this guy?
You know what, I don't give a shit, you're in the picture,
you raised the flag, that's the story we're selling, boys.
Are you deaf? Hank isn't in the picture. Harlon is in the picture.
Well, who the fuck is Harlon?
Harlon Block. That's whose mother should be here if anyone's should be.
You know, I think this whole damn thing is a farce, you ask me.
You know what they're calling this bond drive? The Mighty Seventh.
They might've called it the
"We're Flat Fucking Broke And Can't Even Afford Bullets
"So We're Begging For Your Pennies" bond drive,
but it didn't have quite the ring. They could've called it that, though,
because the last four bond drives came up so short
we just printed money instead.
Ask any smart boy on Wall Street, he'll tell you
our dollar is next to worthless, we borrowed so much.
And nobody is lending any more. Ships aren't being built.
Tanks aren't being built. Machine guns, bazookas, hand grenades, zip.
You think this is a farce? You want to go back to your buddies?
Well, stuff some rocks in your pockets before you get on the plane
because that's all we got left to throw at the Japanese.
And don't be surprised if your plane doesn't make it off the runway
because the fuel dumps are empty.
And our good friends, the Arabs, are only taking bullion.
If we don't raise $14 billion,
and that's million with a "B," this war is over by the end of the month.
We make a deal with the Japanese, we give whatever they want
and we come home, because you've seen them fight,
and they sure as shit ain't giving up.
$14 billion.
The last three drives didn't make that much all together.
People on the street corners,
they looked at this picture and they took hope.
Don't ask me why, I think it's a crappy picture myself.
You can't even see your faces.
But it said we can win this war, are winning this war,
we just need you to dig a little deeper.
They want to give us that money.
No, they want to give it to you.
But you, you don't want to ask for it. You don't want to give them hope.
You want to explain about this person and that flag.
Well, that's your choice.
Because if we admit we made a mistake, that's all anybody'll talk about
and that will be that.
Gentlemen.
Mr. President, here they are.
- Well, hello. Good to see you. - Mr. President.
Darn good to see you, boys.
Heard you had a hell of a fight on your hands out there, hell of a fight.
Yes, sir.
Ira, you're off the Gila River Reservation in Arizona, am I right?
Yes, Mr. President.
Being an Indian, you are a truer American than any of us.
Bet your people are proud to see you wear that uniform.
Very proud, sir.
They should be.
Well, I want to thank you for coming all this way to Washington to help us out.
You fought for a mountain in the Pacific
now we need you to fight for a mountain of cash.
- And I don't expect you'll let us down. - No, sir.
Good. Go get it.
That's the end of this ceremony.
Let's take a look at this famous photo over here, see if I can pick you out.
My gosh. There you are.
Boys. Boys, this one's on me. To those who can't be with us.
Yes, sir.
Excuse me, Mr. Gagnon. May we have your autograph?
I suppose.
And your name is?
I don't know about you, but I get the impression
I'm drinking with the wrong heroes.
You're such a hero. I feel honored to be in your presence.
That's just not true.
That's professional work. Here, to professionals.
Here they are. You're the guys in the photograph, right?
I heard you were on the train.
Let me shake your hands, John Tennack.
John Bradley.
These boys are with me, Harvard and Yale types, didn't fight a lick.
Pappies all rich sons-of-bitches.
Boys, shake hands with some real war heroes.
Excuse me for one moment.
You can buy them a drink while you're at it.
That's right. Drinks for these men all the way around.
And you're the other one, aren't you? John Tennack, Tennack Homes.
- Rene Gagnon. - Pleased to meet you.
Have a drink, come on. And here's my card.
Listen to me, Rene,
when you get finished being famous you come see me
because if you can sell bonds, you can sell homes.
Now, they're not gonna build homes anymore, they're gonna deliver them.
- You heard of prefab homes? - No, sir.
Well, you will. And you hang on to that card and you come see me, you hear?
- All right? - Certainly will.
All right.
This sure takes it, huh, Doc?
If Mike and the guys could see us.
Yeah, they'd hardly believe it, would they?
Harlon!
Franklin!
Can you imagine Franklin
on this train
eating at the dining car with all the silver?
We shouldn't be here, Doc.
There's gonna be a Hallelujah Day
When the boys have all come home to stay
And a million bands begin to play
We'll be dancing the Victory Polka
And when we've lit the torch of liberty
In each blacked-out land across the sea
Ira! Hey, Ira! We heard the picture was posed!
What?
We heard you posed the picture!
Hey, Doc!
We're bigger than life, Doc!
And we'll heave a mighty sigh
When each gal can kiss the boy she kissed goodbye
And they'll come marching down Fifth Avenue
The United Nations in review
When this lovely dream has all come true
We'll be dancing the Victory Polka
Good job.
Thank you.
Thank you, girls!
And now,
here are the men you've been waiting to meet,
the men in white.
Right behind me here, the heroes of Iwo Jima,
Private First Class Rene Gagnon,
Private First Class Ira Hayes,
and Navy Corpsman John "Doc" Bradley!
Thank you.
It's good of you people to come out tonight in support of the war effort.
We really need you to buy bonds, that's for sure.
'Cause we can't win the war without your help.
As far as us being the heroes of Iwo Jima,
that's just not the case.
We really didn't do much at all.
Especially him.
Especially me.
I was just a runner. That's it.
We put up a flag.
The pole we attached it to was heavy, so it took a number of us.
We had our picture taken doing it.
The real heroes are dead on that island.
And we'd appreciate it if you bought bonds in honor of them. Thank you.
Jump on any grenades, Ira?
Take out any machine gun nests I missed?
At least I fired my weapon.
All right, knock it off.
You hit anything or were you too drunk then, too?
What?
Guys! Come on!
Stop it. Knock it off.
The tall man with the high hat will be coming down your way
Get your savings out when you hear him shout
"Any bonds today?"
Any bonds today?
Bonds of freedom that's what I'm selling
Any bonds today?
Rene, right here. Sit between these two boys.
Here comes the freedom man
Asking you to buy a share of freedom today
...for us and they need our help.
And, if you think about it, I think you'll realize
that buying more bonds is not just the right thing to do
but the only thing to do.
Yes, this war has gone on too long.
We have given too many lives. And its cost...
- Chocolate or strawberry, sir? - Strawberry.
...has been far too high.
But if we waver now,
if we don't dig deep and give more than we think we can
then those sacrifices would be wasted...
Chocolate or strawberry, sir?
...and those lives lost in vain.
Let's move! Go, go!
Easy Six, this is Easy Two, over. Where the hell are our tanks?
Stuck in the sand. Captain says you're to go without them.
Christ.
That's real good work you're doing there, Rene.
All right, prepare to move out. Pass the word.
Second Platoon! Move! Move! Move!
All right, Second Platoon, on your feet! Let's move out!
Jackass.
Let's move out!
Go, go! Move, move, move!
Corpsman!
Second Platoon, move out!
Doc!
Doc, get out of there!
Corpsman!
Doc!
Doc, get the hell out of there!
May I have your attention, please.
Train number 48 with service from New York City, Boston,
Rochester, New York,
Toledo, Ohio, and South Bend, Indiana is now arriving on Track 7.
Train number 48 now arriving on Track number 7.
Okay, let's go. Let's go.
- Come on, boys. - Let's go.
- Watch your step, ma'am. - Thank you very much.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the heroes of Iwo Jima.
Navy Corpsman John "Doc" Bradley.
Private First Class Ira Hayes.
And Private First Class Rene Gagnon.
Rene! That's my boyfriend!
Who the hell is that?
I don't know.
- Rene, is that your girl? - Hey, what do they call you?
How about a photo? Hey, look at that!
What's your name, doll? What's your name?
Hey, she's a beauty.
Let's go find a saloon.
Smile, boys. Give them their money's worth.
Hey, Doc, how's the tour going for you?
Thank you.
Where exactly are you staying?
- I'm not sure yet. - Just forget about that.
Senator, I'd like you to meet Corpsman John Bradley.
- Doc, right? - Yes, sir. Nice to meet you, Senator.
Good to meet you, young man.
Now, we appreciate everything you've done and everything you're doing.
- Thank you, sir. - Quite all right.
This is Captain White.
- Colonel Johns. - We're proud of you, Corpsman.
And then Colonel McCourtney.
- Major General Green. - Nice to meet you.
Senator, this is Private First Class Ira Hayes.
Of course!
Now I hear you used a tomahawk on those Japs. Is that true, Chief?
No, sir.
Well, tell them you did, makes a better story, huh?
- Attaboy. - This is Captain Green.
John?
Madeline Evelley. I recognize you from all the photographs. I'm Hank's mom.
It's so nice to meet you, ma'am. Hank was always talking about you.
This is PFC Rene Gagnon.
Pleasure to meet you, son. Thanks for everything.
- My pleasure. - Not at all.
Ira, I'd like you to meet Mrs. Strank, Mike's mom.
It's all right.
When I got the telegram, I...
I don't know what I'm trying to say here.
Knowing he was with you that day and seeing him in that photograph,
I don't know why it makes me feel better, but it does.
- It's so silly, isn't it? - No, it's not.
How are you, son? Thank you very much.
We're the largest furniture wholesaler in Illinois.
Thank you. Excuse me.
- I'll make sure he calls. - Well, thank you. Thank you.
Are you Rene?
Yes, ma'am.
I'm Franklin's mother.
It's an honor to meet you, ma'am.
I'm Pauline, Rene's girlfriend.
Would you mind?
Paper said that's Hank,
and I honestly can't tell.
It's horrible of a mother not to know her own son, isn't it?
But that's him, isn't it?
Well, to be honest, ma'am, it happened so quick,
and with everything that was going on
it's kind of hard to remember who was where.
But...
Yeah, I think... I think that's where he was.
That's Hank.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Excuse us.
Take him outside.
I'm Pauline.
- Very nice to meet you. - Hi, nice to meet you.
He was the best Marine I ever knew.
Thank you.
- You okay, Chief? - Oh, Christ!
I'm okay.
Yeah, you look it. You're gonna screw this up, aren't you?
You're gonna screw it up for all of us.
I've got him.
Get some sleep, Ira.
- Mike? - Yeah?
- You see this? - What?
- Mike! - Oh, shit, go!
He's killing me!
Hey, Doc, you think they got them all?
What?
Well, they're not shooting at us. Maybe we killed them all.
Or they ran off in the night or something.
Or they're waiting for us to start climbing.
Third Platoon! Grab your gear, we're going up the hill.
- Just us? - Yeah, just us, Igg.
All right, Third Platoon, move!
I tag along?
Yeah, you can lead the way if you want. Get a good shot of my face.
It's your ass I'm gonna make famous, Hank.
Hey, that'll work for me, too.
Lieutenant,
if you make it to the top, put this up.
Yes, sir.
Don't worry, Iggy. They never shoot at the first patrol.
- They don't? - No.
They want us to go up to the top, signal to the others that it's okay,
then shoot everybody else as they come up the mountain.
- Really? - Yeah.
Unless of course they want to make an example of us
and discourage all the others.
I think you're full of crap, you know that, Hank?
Really?
Jesus.
Thank God that ain't us.
Told you.
Boots, spread them out and put them on a line.
Set up a perimeter! First Squad!
- Hank? Find me a pole. - Yeah.
Let's put this flag up.
Watch it.
Right over here.
Right here. That's good. That's good. Right here, right here.
Got that end? Hold that steady.
Lindberg.
- Hey, who's got rope? - Right here.
Give me something. Yeah, good.
That work?
Do it, fellas.
Keep it coming.
USMC! USMC!
Shit, look at that!
Jeez, look at that.
Get down! Take cover!
Cover with that.30!
- Watch it! Twenty yards down, Hank! - You see them?
- I got about 20 yards, left side. - Lindberg, get the flamethrower!
- Boots, you see them? - Cover right!
- About 20 yards down! Duck one! - You see them?
Keep the cover on!
Second Squad, you see them?
Get me some grenades!
I see them!
You see them?
Right flank, over to the right!
Cover me, I'm going down!
Careful, Iggy.
Easy.
All clear!
Okay, guys, who wants to be famous?
Yes, sir. Right away, sir.
- God damn it. Strank! - Sir?
They want a phone line run up to the top of the mountain.
Let me guess, they picked us.
Second Platoon, let's go. Get some exercise.
Let's go! Get off your ass.
Oh, shit!
Hope it still works, 'cause you're not getting mine!
- Get Forrestal! - All right, then.
I don't know whose idea it was, Mr. Secretary.
Well, it was goddamn brilliant. I want that flag, Holland.
Mark my words, raising that son-of-a-bitch
means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years.
I want that flag.
Yes, sir. I'll make sure no one touches it.
You can count on me.
Fuck that. That flag belongs to the men in this battalion.
That son-of-a-bitch thinks that our men died taking this ground
so we could hand over our flag to some politician to pin to his wall?
He's out of his goddamn mind!
Get me that flag, and find another one to replace it.
You've gotta be shitting me.
Gagnon!
Get your ass over here.
Hey. Hi, fellas. How's it going?
Missed a beautiful shot, Joe.
It's that kind of day.
- Hey, Mike. - Hell of a view, Lieutenant.
Lieutenant!
Captain says he wants that flag.
He wants this flag?
Yes, sir.
- We just put the damn thing up. - Yes, sir.
Some kind of flag shortage?
He wants you to put this one up instead.
Hey, Mike.
Do me a favor and put this up, will you?
Yes, sir.
All right, let's find a pole.
Take the flag down, boys.
Captain's orders.
You heard him, let's do it.
There you go.
Lordy, she's a heavy one.
All right, hang on. Put this on.
One hell of a view, huh?
Good view from up here. Yes, I'd say so myself.
All right.
- Not in your way here, am I, Joe? - Nah, I'm fine, thanks.
Hey, Doc, you wanna give us a hand here?
Oh, Jesus, Bill, here she goes.
Ready? Ready?
Let's go.
You get it?
I don't know. I wish I could've seen their faces.
Nobody even noticed that second flag going up.
Everybody saw that damn picture and made up their own story about it.
But your dad and the others knew what they had done
and what they had not done.
All your friends dying,
it's hard not to be called a hero for saving somebody's life.
But for putting up a pole?
You gotta be kidding.
Hey! It took a lot of talented folks a long time to make that thing.
Just wait till tonight when it's lit properly
and there's thousands of cheering people in the stands.
It's gonna look a lot better.
So, stadium lights come down,
spotlight comes up and you get your cue.
You charge up this thing with the flag, you plant it at the top.
You smile, you wave. You know the drill.
You want us to plant the flag on a pile of papier-mâché.
Hey, that's show biz.
And try and stand how you stood the first time you planted it.
Just, you know, pretend the other three guys are with you.
The dead guys.
Yeah. Yeah.
Okay, not a problem.
Good.
But where do we imagine Hank is standing?
Sorry?
Well, seeing that he wasn't there,
it'll be kind of hard for us to leave a space for him.
I think you know exactly where he was. You pointed him out to his mother.
This is bullshit.
I planted that damn thing once, and I'm not doing it again.
- Hayes! - Oh, for Christ's sake.
Hayes. Hayes, get your ass back here or you're going on report.
Hayes!
You wanna do your damn job?
Let go of me! Let go of me!
Come on!
He's with me!
Hey, he's with me!
- Back off! - Sir, he's with me. Okay? He's with me.
Ira, put the goddamn chair down!
- Put the chair down, son! - Put the chair down, Ira!
Tell them drop their sticks!
Ira, they're cops, they're supposed to have nightsticks.
You're not supposed to be in the street swinging a chair.
- Calm down, son. - Sir, turn around, please.
That poster right there? The one on the end, that's him.
- That's him? - Yes, sir. You read the papers?
Christ.
We got another fucking hero. Get him out of here.
- Can you do that? - Yes, sir.
Put the goddamn chair down. And let's go.
Did you start this?
He didn't serve me!
I don't make the rules. We don't serve Indians.
He needs to go sleep it off.
Soldier Field.
You hear that?
What the hell is that?
I can't figure it out.
Keep an eye out.
It sounds like it's coming from up there.
They're using grenades.
They're killing themselves.
Ira, let's go.
Come on.
Let's go, Ira. Come on.
Thank God. Jesus. Look at you, Chief.
You found him.
Holy shit. You would have to pick today.
Vandegrift is here with enough brass to start a fucking band.
Come on, let's go. Can you walk?
- Yes, sir. - By yourself?
All right, look. I don't care if you have to carry him
get him to the top, plant that flag, and don't fucking fall off.
Get him in his stuff. I'll stall these guys for as long as I can. Hurry up.
Jesus Christ.
And now, the heroes of Iwo Jima!
Cover!
Harlon!
Harlon! Get your fire team up in that position!
O'Hare!
First Fire Team!
Work around!
BAR, you, on the side of the ridge!
Covering fire, boys, go, go, go!
Jackson, work your team around to the left!
Cover!
Left flank! Left flank!
Franklin, Gust, go check it out!
Hustle up, boys!
We got them!
Clear!
One hell of an experience.
Move out!
Cease fire! They're my men! You're targeting our men!
You're targeting our...
Get me another radio!
Sergeant? Sergeant!
Mike!
Mike, Mike, Mike.
Mike? Mike.
Hey, where's Doc?
Corpsman!
Oh, shit.
How's his breathing? Harlon, move, buddy.
Hey, Mike. Mike, Mike, can you hear us?
It's okay.
Come on, Mike.
Mike? Mike, can you hear us?
All right, let's go!
Move out!
I'm gonna get a stretcher.
Let's take him down, move him off the beach.
Ladies and gentlemen, the heroes of Iwo Jima!
Corpsman!
Hank!
Doc, they killed me.
Harlon!
Doc,
they killed me.
Come on, Harlon. Harlon, stay with me.
Franklin!
I'm fine, Ira.
Corpsman!
- Where'd he go? - Who?
The guy who was right here, Ignatowski. Where did he go?
- I think you jumped in the wrong hole. - I didn't jump in the wrong hole!
He was right here, now where the hell is he?
Iggy!
You shut up. You want every Jap on the island shooting at us?
Iggy!
Does it open?
Iggy!
Iggy, are you down there?
Iggy!
Can't tell who it is, but he's one of ours.
I had to go outside to throw up.
Look what they did to the poor son-of-a-bitch.
You okay, Chief?
Just let it go.
If that doesn't pry open their wallets, nothing will.
Jesus Christ, he's drunk.
Goddamn Indians.
Come on, Chief. Let's get you home.
That's not what I hear. I called around, I'm not stupid.
He's been drunk since he started this damn tour,
making a spectacle of himself.
Just about choked that poor woman at the reception, blubbering.
Jesus Christ, you're supposed to be watching these men.
Yes, sir.
Well, he's making us look like regular asses.
Well, with all due respect, sir,
he never wanted to come on this trip in the first place.
We had to pull him, kicking and screaming, off that boat.
He wants to be with his unit.
What unit? They're all fucking dead.
This is how he honors those men? By drinking and throwing up, and...
You know what? He wants it, great, we'll send him back.
Get him packed and on a train today. He's an embarrassment to the uniform.
Yes, sir.
I'll do it.
Yeah, no, that's... That's good. That's what I want.
I know it's a good thing,
raising the money and that, 'cause we need it.
But,
I can't take them calling me a hero.
All I did was try not to get shot.
Some of the things I saw done,
things I did,
they weren't things to be proud of, you know?
Mike...
Mike was a hero.
You ever meet him?
No.
Best Marine I ever met.
You know, Chief, I think if Mike was sitting here instead of you
he'd be saying the same thing about himself,
not being a hero.
Maybe.
He was a good guy.
But I think that he would be ashamed of me,
seeing me the way I am.
Think I could see my ma before they ship me off?
Think they'd do that? See my ma?
I'm sorry, Ira.
We got stories now to tell our kids, I guess.
Keep your head down.
All aboard.
Good luck, Chief.
I think I saw him once after that.
It was maybe six or seven years after the war.
I was working as a salesman, doing a lot of driving.
I was driving west across Texas.
I was just trying to get where I was going so I could get home.
And I saw this guy hitchhiking on the side of the road.
And, for a second, I thought it might've been him.
I always regret that I didn't stop, but I was in a hurry.
And he was an Indian.
We always told the press that Ira insisted
that he was going back to fight with his unit
which was at least partially true, but
that isn't what got the headlines.
We're engaged.
Excuse me a minute, darling.
- Hey, Doc? - Yeah?
- Got a minute? - Yeah.
I'll see you at the car.
- You hear I'm getting married? - I did, Rene. That's great.
Yeah, it's something she wants. She waited for me all this time.
She's not used to all this, but she's a good girl.
I'm sure you'll be very happy.
So, I was wondering if you'd be my best man.
Me?
Don't you have somebody at home, a buddy, you'd rather ask?
Well, I didn't really make many.
The ones who didn't go, it's... Well, it's hard to even talk to them.
You know?
Yeah, I know.
I'd be proud to.
Thank you.
I better go drag her away from them before she announces
I'm gonna be president of General Motors or something.
All right.
- Congratulations. - Thank you so much. Thank you.
Rene, you're a lucky man.
- Big smile, Mrs. Gagnon! - Say cheese!
I couldn't complain because the press loved them,
so they wrote more articles and people bought more bonds.
The tour went on with just Rene and your dad.
And the true heroes are the men who didn't make it home from Iwo Jima,
the men who died at Iwo Jima and in other campaigns.
We ask that you honor the memory of those men
by buying the war bonds and helping us to win this war.
Thank you.
City after city, I thought the damn thing'd never end.
And this rumor kept going around that the photograph had been staged.
I remember your dad telling them
that he wished he'd known he was having his picture taken
because he would've ducked the hell out of it.
Whose idea was it? Who wanted to stage the thing?
Come on, it was you?
Was there truth to the rumor that that picture was staged, Doc?
- Come on! Doc? - Can you answer that?
I remember when your dad got shot. All hell was busting loose.
People back home saw that picture
and thought it was over when we took Suribachi.
We wished.
Anyways, we're pinned down.
Mortars, shells, machine guns.
Fire coming from every which direction, right?
And we hear somebody call, "Corpsman down. "
Corpsman down!
Blood was spurting out of his throat, and Doc was doing everything he could.
And the Corpsman looks up at him
and he knows what this means, to be shot in the neck.
He knows he's dying, you can see that.
But still
in his eyes, he's pleading with Doc to save his life.
And Doc can't.
- You okay, Doc? - Yeah, I'm fine.
- Yeah, you look fine. - I'm okay.
Keep down, all right? I'm gonna go get a stretcher.
Okay.
Corpsman. Corpsman!
For God sake, Corpsman!
Corpsman?
Corpsman.
Incoming!
Let me see.
It's not that bad. You're gonna be okay. All right?
Just stay with me. Look at me.
Took us a half-hour to find your dad. He could've bled to death.
Coming down.
Thanks.
Vets'll tell you about being hit but not wanting to leave their buddies.
Usually, they're lying.
You'll take any excuse to get out of there.
But it happens.
You get the feeling you're letting them down.
I could see that in your dad's face.
He wanted to go, he'd seen enough.
But he didn't want to leave us.
Now, he was a hell of a good man, your dad.
Yeah.
While we were sitting there on the beach, we heard this great roar.
And we looked up.
That was the first of thousands of landings on Iwo.
- Look at that. - Yeah.
How about that.
I'm gonna head back, all right?
Good luck.
That island saved a lot of lives.
A lot of lives.
I don't know what else to tell you.
After the bond tour my dad finally got his operation.
By the time he got home the war was over.
First thing he did was ask my mom to marry him.
Ira tried to get on with his life and put it all behind him.
Thank you for having me here today.
It's an honor to be in front of such a strong people.
Because of the war
white men will understand Indians a lot better.
And it's going to be a better world.
But life had other plans for him.
You're... You're him, aren't you?
You're the hero, right?
Great. All right, kids, go get your picture taken.
Oh, that's great. That's great.
All right, now say cheese.
Cheese!
That's great! Okay. Hey, thanks a lot. Thanks.
- Come on. - That's a hero, kids.
Hero, lift this basket, will you? It's too heavy for me.
Rene tried to take advantage of those offers he'd received on the bond tour.
Yes. G-A-G-N-O-N.
Right. Pronounced Rene. Rene, yes.
- Okay, I actually called last week. - Yes. Okay, yes. Mr. Gagnon.
I gave Mr. Tennack your message. I'm sure he'll call you.
Okay. All right.
Thank you.
But he was yesterday's hero.
He even applied for a job at the local police station.
They said he wasn't qualified.
After working the factory with Pauline he tried a few things
but spent the rest of his life as a janitor.
But Ira...
Ira! You got a visitor.
Ira always made the news.
I could never find out why he did it, but one day Ira just took off.
He walked and hitched over 1,300 miles
from Arizona to Texas.
He found Harlon Block's father working his field.
His wife, Belle, had left him soon after they discovered Harlon died.
She never forgave him for letting her son go off to war.
And Ira told him the truth,
that it had been his son who raised the flag with them,
his son in the photograph.
And then he just turned and walked away.
Though the flag-raising meant nothing to him,
he somehow knew it would mean everything to them.
Thanks for calling.
Just as Belle knew all along.
The press soon found out
and called Hank's mom with the news that it wasn't her son after all.
The last time they all saw each other
was at the unveiling of the Marine Corps War Memorial.
And even though he planted the first flag above Iwo Jima,
Hank's mother and father weren't invited.
Ira.
It's good to see you, Ira.
Hell of a statue.
It wasn't long after that that they found Ira.
The papers said he died of exposure. There was no autopsy.
It was about that same time
when my father got in his car early one morning
telling my mom he had something to do.
He drove to a town on the other side of Wisconsin where Iggy's mom lived.
Ever since she heard the news about her son
she'd been trying to find out how he died, and no one would tell her.
I never found out what he told her,
but I can pretty much guarantee it wasn't the truth.
My mother would ask him what was troubling him.
He would never say.
And every year, as it got close to Memorial Day,
the reporters would start calling asking to interview my father.
No, I'm sorry. He's fishing in Canada.
We were always instructed to say the same thing.
Okay. Thanks.
When Mr. McCandless retired,
my father bought the funeral home where he'd worked since coming home.
He spent the rest of his life running the business and raising his family.
He never spoke about the war or about the flag-raising,
never told us anything.
The first time I heard any of these stories was after he died.
Where is he? Oh, God.
He's not here, Dad.
He died.
Who? Who died?
Iggy.
Christ, poor Iggy.
I hadn't thought of him for years.
How do you know about Iggy?
You were calling for him, when you collapsed.
I wasn't looking for Iggy.
I was looking for you.
I wanted to...
I wanted to tell you I'm sorry I wasn't a better father.
Talked to you more.
I just...
I'm sorry.
Sorry?
You were the best father a man could have.
Did I ever tell you they took us swimming?
No, Dad.
After we planted the flag, we came down off the mountain
and they let us swim.
It was the funniest thing.
All this fighting
and we were jumping around in the water like kids.
That's the way I remember Iggy now.
I finally came to the conclusion that maybe he was right.
Maybe there's no such thing as heroes.
Maybe there are just people like my dad.
I finally came to understand
why they were so uncomfortable being called heroes.
Heroes are something we create, something we need.
It's a way for us to understand what is almost incomprehensible,
how people could sacrifice so much for us.
But for my dad and these men,
the risks they took, the wounds they suffered,
they did that for their buddies.
They may have fought for their country, but they died for their friends.
For the man in front, for the man beside them.
And if we wish to truly honor these men,
we should remember them the way they really were,
the way my dad remembered them.
Come on, Doc!