Key Battles of American History Parthenon

Born in Virginia, Desmond Doss was a devout Christian and a pacifist who wanted to serve in the war as a combat medic but refused to touch a weapon. After suffering much shame and ill-treatment from his fellow soldiers, Doss proved his heroism in several engagements, most notably in the Battle of Okinawa, in which he saved around 75 wounded American soldiers from being executed by the Japanese. In this episode, James and Sean discuss the 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge, which tells the story of Doss’s life and service in the war.

The companion film to Flags of Our Fathers, Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima narrates the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. In this episode, you will join James and Sean as they walk the beaches of Iwo Jima and go deep into the caves and tunnels of Mt. Suribachi with the Japanese defenders as they await the American onslaught and struggle with the decision of whether to fight to the death or surrender at the risk of being hated (or worse) by their colleagues and their families back home.

One of the most iconic photographs of all time is the famous Joe Rosenthal photo of the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi in the southwest corner of Iwo Jima. In Flags of Our Fathers, director Clint Eastwood weaves together the story of the American invasion of Iwo Jima and the struggle to capture Suribachi with the subsequent tale of three of the flag raisers who were sent back to the States to raise money for the war. The movie, while inspiring, can be a bit hard to follow, but James and Sean will guide you through it and help you sort out fact from fiction.

The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific Theater for both the Japanese and the Americans. James and Sean will be discussing three movies about Iwo Jima, the first of which is the classic 1949 John Wayne action film Sands of Iwo Jima. Despite its title, Sands of Iwo Jima only devotes 30 minutes to the battle; the rest of the movie shows the Battle of Tarawa, as well as scenes of the Marines training and enjoying liberty. Is Sands of Iwo Jima accurate, or is it just patriotic Hollywood propaganda? James and Sean will let you know!