i caught flags of our fathers on demand the other night. it’s a great movie for those that haven’t seen it. highly recommended. it tells the story of the guys who planted the flag at iwo jima during WWII. i didn’t really know much about it and i’m trusting the movie to be fairly accurate.
anyway, one of the guys who planted the flag was ira hayes. he was a native american who really struggled with the fact that he was being called a hero when his buddies were the ones that died during battle. the day after watching the movie, a song covered by johnny cash played on my itunes – the ballad of ira hayes. funny coincidence. but he has a really interesting story. his luck of not being killed and labeled a hero tormented him for the rest of his life. he became an alcoholic and never got things together after the war.
it really is nice to see movies like this about the wars fought for freedom. in hindsight, it makes my trips to the cemeteries and monuments in france that much more meaningful. it also makes me appreciate gym and what he’s doing for us right now. while the combat isn’t as bad, he’s still putting himself in danger and i can’t wait for the day that he returns (halloween!). i can’t imagine doing it myself.
remember that time pants cooked the food you like, hosted the tailgate, let you stay over night, visited you too often at school, learned how to text, took you to practice, made you feel uncomfortable when asking you about a gf or bf, cried when you left home, loved you more than should be possible. you probably do. cause it happens everyday.
