The First Flag...

Yesterday, I was buying some food for my family and waiting for our food to get finished (we do not have fast food here, so this took about an hour) while I was waiting I saw part of a movie that they had on at the resturant. The movie was about Iwo Jima, and the man that raised the flags on the island. If you do not know the story you will know the picture. Though most might know the basic history, like I did, they might not know the twist in the story that makes it so interesting.

Second Flag over Iwo Jima

The picture that became so famous, is not the first flag that was raised on the mountain over the island, it was the second. The first flag had been placed a few hours before and was being replaced by a larger flag that was easier to see when this second famous photo was taken.

The truth is that all the men in these two picture are heros. Ira Hayes, Mike Strank, Rene Gagnon, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, John Bradley of the famous picture, and Charles W. Lindberg, Ernest I. Thomas Jr., Henry O. "Hank" Hansen, and James Michels, of the frist unknown picture, where all great men that fought for our country. By the end of the battle all but three from the second pictured died in Iwo Jima for our freedom.


First Flag over Iwo Jima

Now you might be wondering what this has to do with missions, I am coming to that part. According to history the three surving men where flown back to the states for the 7th Bond Drive. President Roosevelt, thought because the picture was so popular it would help raise the needed funds for the war effort. So they set these three men all around America to dinners, meetings, towns, and where able to raise 26.3 billion dollars in War Bonds.

As James Bradley, historian and writing of Flags of our Fathers puts it, these three men never really felt comfortable about the whole thing. They knew that they had fought for their country, but they where not the first flag raisers, they felt like they had been honored for a sacrifice that should have pinned on another. They felt that the men that should have been honored, never got the spot light. No pictures, no names, no dinners, they just did there jobs, and never asked anything in return.

I have to abmit as I watch this movie, and they told how these three marines felt about the honors given to them, I could relate. As a missionary you are flown back from the fight, and taken on a tour. The missionary is treated to dinner, meetings, he has his picture taken, and is praised. But, I know I feel like these guys. Here I am being praised, but I am just a part of the 2nd battalion doing my job. I did not raise the flag of Christ the first time, on this enemy shore, I was just sent up to put in a replacement.

Modern African missionaries are fighting for the Lord, and many have made great sacrifices, just as these three men made, but today I want to remember the 'others'. The men and women that went before. The missionaries that did not have the hope of long live, but packed their belongings in caskets, because they knew that they would most likely be dead in three years. The missionaries that many times died with only a few converts, and never had the chance to see what their sacrifice would mean.

Today we honor them, the missionaries of the first flag! We of the second generation could not be on this ground without their sacrifice. So we say, thank you!