I will never forget that moment in my high school history class as my teacher Mr. Elliott dramatically reenacted the historic moment. “We shall not die until we have killed ten of the enemy.” – so was the cry of the Japanese Commander, General Kuribayashi, to his thousands of hardened soldiers, about to engage United States Marines on Iwo Jima in 1945.
Mr. Elliott explained that when Marines landed on this volcanic island, they were unable to dig fox holes in the volcanic cinder and sustained horrific casualties. As he recounted that in 36 days of fighting, nearly 7,000 Marines were killed and that it was one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history, I was swept up in the courage and fighting spirit of the Marines. Then, Mr. Elliott showed us the picture of the iconic flag raising on Mount Suribachi on February 23rd, 1945. In this picture I saw all that was noble and brave in the American character. A few days later, after seeing Sands of Iwo Jima with John Wayne on television, I joined the Marine Corps on my 18th birthday and spent 20 years serving. Thus is the power of American history, properly and truthfully taught, to inspire young people to become productive American citizens who understand the value of service.
Maybe it would not be a bad idea if our young people were taught in school a little bit about this epic battle for freedom. Maybe they should be taught about these sacrifices, about the fact that after Iwo Jima was captured it was used as an emergency airstrip that saved the lives of 24,000 airmen and prepared the way for the final battle in the Pacific – Okinawa. Could it inspire young people today to service, as it inspired me?
One of the flag raisers on Iwo Jima was Native American Ira Hayes. Johnny Cash wrote a song about him – “Call him drunken Ira Hayes, he won’t answer anymore, not the whiskey-drinking Indian – or the Marine that went to war.” What if students learned about his place in history? In his story alone they would learn about our national mistakes in the treatment of Native Americans, but also about the nobleness of our national character that led Ira Hayes to fight what some Native Americans did not believe was their war.
Ira Hayes, flag-raiser at Iwo Jima, rejected by his people for fighting in the war, became an alcoholic due to the wounds of war and the rejection of his people. After a night of heavy drinking, Ira Hayes died of alcohol poisoning and exposure to cold. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, not far from the Marine Corps War Memorial that depicts his heroic act as one of the flag raisers on Iwo Jima. In his story alone you can find the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in our history, and you can also discover the noble spirit of this nation that is being lost today.
I am in full support of HF2544, the Iowa History Initiative, because the things mandated to be taught are essential to understanding citizenship and the American character, the mistakes we have made, and the incredible sacrifices of those who have come before us as we strive to be a more perfect Union.
Today, there are many indicators that show we have forgotten that the most important aspect of public education is to teach good citizenship, and essential to understanding the responsibilities of citizenship, is to understand what western civilization stands for, what we stand for as Americans, what the fighting men and women of our country have died for since 1776, and in turn the responsibilities that come with being called an American.
We have become so focused on STEM and other issues as technology has rapidly advanced, that we have forgotten that if we do not teach what it means to be an American, we are at risk of losing everything, and we are seeing that play out in our nation in real time.
Many young people today can name off a litany of mistakes we have made as a nation, because that is what has been emphasized to them, but they cannot tell you who we fought in World War II, what happened on December 7th, 1941, they will have no idea about a place called Iwo Jima, they will know little about the Vietnam War, but they can tell you they believe that meritocracy is a part of white supremacy. They might be able to tell you about the horrific mistakes we made with slavery, but probably have no idea how many Americans died fighting the Civil War to end slavery, what the Emancipation Proclamation was about, or have in-depth knowledge about the great human experiment that is manifested in our Constitution.
Young people today are not nearly as proud of being an American as those who came before them because they have not been taught essential components of our history and our national character. They have learned from Chinese Communist Tik Tok, social media, movies, institutions of higher learning, and unfortunately some educators with an agenda that America is inherently racist and not worth fighting for, hence our military struggles to meet recruiting goals and defend the nation from the growing threats to our national security. We are more divided than we have been in my lifetime, partly because we are no longer teaching those essential principles that bound us together as a people and a nation. Once our national motto was E Pluribus Unum – out of many, one. We would be wise to take those words to heart in 2024.
I was taught many of these historical facts in school, but I also heard first-hand accounts from family members who were part of the Greatest Generation, who told me about their experiences in the war. I had an uncle on Iwo Jima, and while he would never talk about the war, it was obvious when I looked in his eyes that he had been through hell for this country, and I knew I had to be willing to do the same. My generation learned many of the lessons of World War II and the horrors of Nazi Germany from those who lived it. This is why it is all the more essential, since this is no longer possible, that we mandate the contrast between our values and those of our adversaries, as well as the core characteristics essential to citizenship and the American character be taught in our schools. Thus, the importance of HF2544, the Iowa History Initiative.
Perhaps out of many, we can become one again. I am proud to have voted for the Iowa History Initiative.
Steve Holt is a gifted writer and very anchored in his convictions. Thanks for sharing this article.