John H Bradley
| John H. Bradley | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 10, 1923 Antigo, Wisconsin |
| Died | January 11, 1994 Antigo, Wisconsin |
| Status | Survived |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | Pharmacist's Mate Second Class |
| Service number | |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division |
| Commands held | |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Iwo Jima |
| Awards | Navy Cross, Purple Heart |
| Relations | |
| Later work | Ran a funeral home in Antigo, Wisconsin |
John Henry "Doc" Bradley (July 10, 1923 – January 11, 1994) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman attached to the 28th Marines during the Battle of Iwo Jima who participated in the first U.S. flag raising atop Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945.
Bradley served as a corpsman with the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, and earned the Navy Cross for treating wounded men under fire on Iwo Jima.
Flag raising on Mount Suribachi
[edit]Bradley took part in raising the first flag on Mount Suribachi and is shown holding the flagstaff in Sgt. Louis Lowery's photograph. For 71 years he was believed to be one of the six men in Joe Rosenthal's famous second-flag photograph. In June 2016, after an investigation, the Marine Corps concluded that Bradley was not in that image and identified PFC Harold Schultz in his place — while affirming Bradley's role in the earlier first flag raising and his valor as a corpsman.
Legacy
[edit]Bradley rarely spoke of the war. He returned to Antigo, Wisconsin, ran a funeral home, and died there in 1994. His son James Bradley wrote the bestselling book Flags of Our Fathers (2000) about him and the other flag raisers, later adapted into a film.