My Hero, John Bradley

John Bradley attained many admirable characteristics during his lifetime that make him a person that I admire and consider a hero. He answered his country's call by enlisting in the Navy when it was in need at the time of World War II. The Navy made him a corpsman which he took very seriously. On February 23, 1945 he was one of the six men to raise the flag on Iwo Jima that is depicted in the famous Joe Rosenthal photograph. Later on in the battle for Iwo Jima he was injured but continued to help the wounded Marines. After the battle he was shipped home and helped with a campaign that raised a record twenty-six billion dollars for the war effort. Although many saw him as a hero he was very humble and did not seek credit for his bravery.

Enlisting into what he knew was a dangerous job to help his country is a major reason why I look up to John Bradley. Many men who were not drafted stayed home during the war and watched their country suffer casualty after casualty. Mr. Bradley had the courage to overcome the fear of death and injury for his country. If it were not for people like him we would not have won the war. During his military career he earned several awards and decorations which I think capitalize on his bravery and make me admire him more.

Another reason I look up to John Bradley is that he was one of the six flag raisers in the famous photograph. He later said he was just in the right place at the right time but I still admire him for it because to me the photo is a meaningful representation of the battle and the war in general. The reason he was in "the right place at the right time" is that he was accompanying the marines to the top of the only mountain on Iwo Jima so he could provide them with medical care if needed. I think that justifies him being in the photo and makes him deserve more credit. If he had not been in the picture I probably would never have heard of him and would not have the chance to look up to him.

Probably the reason I most look up to John Bradley is that later in the battle he was wounded by shrapnel but he tried to set his personal injuries aside and help wounded marines that were around him. He could have easily been sent away from the fighting to a ship offshore but he put others first and continued to provide wounded men with medical aid. It must have been very painful for him but he had the courage to keep going. His bravery through the pain and pressure more than qualifies him to be a hero. When I feel like I can not keep going at something difficult I think about what he did and realize that my situation is much less demanding.

After the battle he and the two other surviving flag raisers were shipped back to the states to be the faces of the seventh war bond drive to raise much needed money for the war effort. The threesome traveled the country giving speeches and reenacting the flag raisers. During this time the three including John Bradley remained very humble about their involvement in the photo and denied being heroes. They ended up making twenty-six billion dollars for the war effort. This makes me admire him because if it were not for him and his two comrades the war could have ended in a bad way with the United States surrendering because of lack of funds.

After he had faded out of the public eye he settled down and raised a family. He was a caring father to his children and a loving husband to his wife. For the remainder of his life he remained very humble about his involvement in the war. Because of all these reasons, I see John Bradley as a person to be admired. John Bradley was truly an American hero.