Letters From Iwo Jima Analysis

The flag rising on Iwo Jima, a very popular, famous, and historic photo almost anyone can recognize at any given time. I think that this photo became so popular and considered historic because it has been a symbol of our military’s patriotism and valor America’s strength, honor, and brotherhood. A strength that cannot be shaken, honor that cannot be abjured, and a brotherhood that cannot be broken.

War-- a horrific way of justifying our actions and the innocent lives that have been lost, but on the other hand has resolved some of the greatest conflicts in history. Not every issue ever raised in this world is resolved through negotiation and discussion, rather sometimes war becomes a necessity for countries to settle disputes. War is a part of how a society strengthens itself politically, socially, and economically however, ultimately it becomes a country’s abusive use of power.

In-depth stories describe their lives as soldiers: their military prowess, their treatment as prisoners of war, casualty rates, and how

The island of Iwo Jima is just one of the many islands in the pacific that make up the island chain of Ogasawara. The Ogasawara chain of islands are located approximately 750 miles south of Tokyo. In comparison to most of the other islands in the pacific Iwo Jima is relatively small, in fact it is only four and a half miles long by two and a half miles wide. The geographic layout of Iwo Jima consists of a dormant volcano on the northern side called Mount Suribachi and a flat stretch of land to the south. So why is such a small island so important? After the surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor America needed a place to stage aircraft for conducting bombing runs on Tokyo, Iwo Jima provided the best place to host

Society’s perception on war is often clouded by popular media. Action packed movies with fictional war heroes, and video games set in past wars, are examples of such hyperbole. It is outlets like these that raise society’s expectations of soldiers into unrealistic ideas. While it may seem as black and white as killing the bad guy, majority of the population does not consider the long term effects war may have on soldiers. Most movies portray soldiers as emotionless killing machines and leave out the lifelong psychological effects war can have on a person. Tim O’Brien’s book The Things They Carried is a look into the mind of a soldier in the middle of war. In the book, we learn of First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, a soldier who is carrying the guilt

According to the author a true war story “does not instruct nor encourage virtue, nor suggests models of proper human behavior.” (1) O’Brien states the basic guideline for determining a story true or false. If a war story contains uplifting and inspiring messages, then the audience is being fed a lie. This concept runs against our general perception of what a war story is. For example, in a U.S. Army advertisement, the main heading says that “Being proud is strong.

"Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue." Those were the words of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who served as an Admiral on the island of Iwo Jima. He was a man who knew many,many soldiers to be his friends on the island. Admiral Nimitz, who he watched fight and die in one of the bloodiest battles of World War ll, was a man of honor and always tried to put his men in the best position possible. This battle is well worth knowing about. Especially because if it hadn’t happened, at least 24,000 lives would not have been saved. The U.S marines secured Iwo Jima after sacrificing everything they had to save the lives of others. The heart of these soldiers cannot be described in a simple essay so here is just a little bit of what these courageous troops gave up.

“War at its basic level has always been about soldiers. Nations rose and fell on the strength of their armies and the men who filled the ranks.” This is a very powerful quote, especially for the yet young country of the United States, for it gives credit where credit is truly due: to the men who carried out the orders from their superiors, gave their blood, sweat and tears, and in millions of cases their lives while fighting for ideals that they believed their country or government was founded upon, and to ensure the continuation of these ideals. Up until the end of the 20th Century, they did so in the worst of conditions, and this includes not only the battle scene, but also every day life. In

War is one person doing their job against another person doing their job. Many of the soldiers talked about the truth of doing the job they were asked to and the things they did were a result of it. Soldiers became to realize what they were doing is wrong but also isn't wrong at the same time. It's either kill or be killed and this is the tough desciscion they were faced with. they talked about how you prepare yourslef and they said each man is different it's all mental whe preparing to get flown into a drop zone. Tim O'Brien wrote, "If a story seems moral do not believe it... Then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie"(65). Meaning, if what these men in wr did seems right and moral to you then it's probably not true

A soldier with extreme mental anguish was starting to be understood of not as a coward or “feeble willed”, but as a casualty. Additionally, the motivations behind joining this conflict were more traditionally respectable than in previous American-involved conflicts. Troops were not jumping into France or landing on Guadalcanal for the sake of “American business interests”. It is far easier to support liberating death camps or avenging an attack on American soil than “making the world safe for democracy”. Regardless of Dalton Trumbo’s cynicism, American’s still recognized the merit in protecting other’s right to life and

There were over 16 million Americans in the armed forces, who served in the war. The infantry represented 14% of the troops overseas. Training could not have prepared them for these hardships that they faced. The shoes were in terrible conditions, the clothes were in bad shape too. The families at home were also worried about the soldiers in the army, because most of the families feared getting the news that their soldier had died in war. The soldiers were also asked to do physical work, on top of them already having to worry about fighting in war. Most of the soldiers had no education, they only hoped that the war would be over soon. The soldiers in the war had to carry everything, so they really didn´t have anything with them. The soldiers

War leads to oppression and leaves negative implications on all people and societies by impacting the poor, women, children, and nations as a whole. "War is a state of violent conflict between one or more groups" (Rasenberger 3). Rasenberger defines war as a state of conflict between one group within itself or several groups in combat with each other, what is not mentioned are the after-effects of war. War itself leads to many civilian and military deaths, an estimated 1.5-3.8 million people died during the Vietnam War and an approximate 500,000 people died in the Iraq war. The biggest tragedy of War is that it always results in fatality, but another key, negative, factor to understand is that after the War many adverse implications arise. Post-war ramifications in the nation fall upon the poor, women, and children, making them weaker and less motivated leading to the downfall of a society. Regardless if a nation wins or is defeated in war they have to deal with consequences of war and find solutions to the impacted people and society. It is essential to understand that there is never a true victor in war because regardless of the outcome, fatality and a fall of morale within society on both sides are inevitable. War has often been the solution to situations that required force or violence, but in recent times this has

War can be defined as “an active struggle between competing entities. It’s truly hard to tell who is right or wrong during a war. Both sides are fighting for what they believe in and what is true to their heart. In the end there is always two things promised – destruction and death. These two objects can explain the result in every facet of war from the physical to emotional.

We live in a world that suffers from many injustices. These injustices range from poverty to trafficking to healthcare issues. However, the injustices done in war have been ignored for far too long. “Experts argue that the public, though understandably wary after more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, should be persuaded to support some actions overseas” (Katel, 2014). In order to gain some support, the media has taken action. Movies, such as “Lone Survivor” and “The American Sniper,” have started uproar in the past two years. These movies have shed light on the true issues that our soldiers face while they are in battle. After having watched these movies and reading the recent news articles, citizens have now started to take a stand on issues like the killing of other countries woman and children, torture, and if the United States should even be sending our men to countries to defend those that are not American. They are beginning to realize how much of an honor it is that the countries that are in hardships look to the United States to restore order. It is also important for all Americans to understand the danger they are putting our military men and women in when they look down upon what collateral damages are made during war and when they do not allow our men to use torture as a way of truth seeking. War is never a happy or easy thing to declare. Yet, it seems actions are the only way to get jobs done. Actions such as interfering in global affairs, using

War is a conflict carried out by force of arms, between nations, states or between parties within a nation which can be on land, sea or in the air, always caused by something. It’s a clash of interests which results in violent armed struggles and can affect