James Bradley, author of the best-selling book “Flags of Our Fathers” (2000), passed away on June 5 at the age of 72. His daughter, Alison Cinnamond, confirmed his death but didn’t provide further details.
Bradley’s book focused on an iconic World War II moment: the raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima. Long held belief was that Bradley’s father was in the photograph capturing this event; however, this belief was eventually proven mistaken. His father, John “Doc” Bradley, was a Navy medic during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
“Flags of Our Fathers,” co-authored with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Powers, detailed the experiences of the six servicemen involved in the flag-raising. The book was a major success, staying on the New York Times best-seller list for 46 weeks and reaching No. 1. It was later made into a film in 2006 directed by Clint Eastwood, where Ryan Phillippe portrayed Doc Bradley.
The narrative of “Flags of Our Fathers” spans the brutal, five-week battle of Iwo Jima. It highlights the stories of the flag-raising servicemen, amongst whom were Bradley’s father and five Marines. This battle saw the loss of about 6,800 American servicemen, including three of the flag raisers.
The book also covered the lives of the surviving flag-raisers—Doc Bradley, Rene Gagnon, and Ira Hayes—after their return to the United States. They were key figures on the national war bonds tour. Their postwar lives were often challenging, marked by their wartime experiences.
Doc Bradley rarely spoke about his service or his valor, which earned him the Navy Cross for bravery in rescuing a wounded Marine under fire. Following his service, he became a funeral director in Antigo, Wisconsin.