This story is a tad old, but here it goes anyway:
The other day I watched Flags of Our Fathers for the first time. The movie was filmed in 2006 and directed by none of other than Clint Eastwood.
The movie was based on a book authored by James Bradley, the son of John Bradley, the navy corpsman who was thought to be one of the men who was in the famous picture of marines hoisting the American flag on Iwo Jima in February 1945. It was also thought that marine Private Rene Gagnon as also one of the men who was in the picture.
However, in 2016, advanced digital technology forced the Marine Corps to conclude that Bradley was not in the photo after all. Then, in 2019, the same technology prompted the Marine Corps to announce the Gagnon was not in the photo, either.
Now, every man who landed as Iwo Jima was a hero, in one way or another. In particular, Bradley was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on Iwo Jima (he saved a marine's life while placing his own life at great risk). However, both Bradley and Gagnon must have known all along that they were not in the famous picture. Yet, they allowed the American public to think otherwise. They took the truth with them to their graves.
So, the question is:
Are Bradley and Gagnon still heroes, complete and disgraceful frauds, or both?
The other day I watched Flags of Our Fathers for the first time. The movie was filmed in 2006 and directed by none of other than Clint Eastwood.
The movie was based on a book authored by James Bradley, the son of John Bradley, the navy corpsman who was thought to be one of the men who was in the famous picture of marines hoisting the American flag on Iwo Jima in February 1945. It was also thought that marine Private Rene Gagnon as also one of the men who was in the picture.
However, in 2016, advanced digital technology forced the Marine Corps to conclude that Bradley was not in the photo after all. Then, in 2019, the same technology prompted the Marine Corps to announce the Gagnon was not in the photo, either.
Now, every man who landed as Iwo Jima was a hero, in one way or another. In particular, Bradley was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on Iwo Jima (he saved a marine's life while placing his own life at great risk). However, both Bradley and Gagnon must have known all along that they were not in the famous picture. Yet, they allowed the American public to think otherwise. They took the truth with them to their graves.
So, the question is:
Are Bradley and Gagnon still heroes, complete and disgraceful frauds, or both?