The nights on iwo jima were a "nightmare in hell." General Smith warned the Marines in their holes and trenches to prepare for banzai attacks from the Japps, but they never happened. Instead, Kuribayashi (the head of the defenders on Iwo Jima) chose his own of bombing the area throughout the night with mortars and artillery. The sun started to rise and to all Marines, the morning was a blessing.
The 28th Regiment was ready to take Suribachi (the inactive volcano on Iwo Jima). Most of the 5th Division would go to Suribachi, while some joined the 4th Division moving northward. 3000 men of this regiment would advance up towards this extinct volcano. As Jack Bradley and some other Marines advanced, some Japps came out of their hiding places in the ground. Bradley shot one in the head right as two grenades landed by his feet. But Jack Lucas pushed Bradley out of the way and layed on the grenades and pushed them into the ash. He was still alive after the explosion somehow and got the medal of honor. He just wanted to "save his buddies" and thats it. Now thats what i call bravery: Willing to die to save your fellow Marines. There were also a lot of men that were injured and could have been evacuated. But no, they couldnt leave their buddies and their job wasn't done. If we all had this kind of confidence there wouldn't be anything we couldn't do!
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