Product Description

A biography of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six soldiers to raise the United States flag on Iwo Jima during World War II, an event immortalized by Joe Rosenthal_s Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #498738 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4–Hayes, one of the Marines who struggled to thrust an American flag into a hill on Iwo Jima, became famous as a result of Joe Rosenthals Pulitzer Prize-winning photo. This illustrated biography gives context to a shy man who never wanted to be a hero, tracking his childhood on a Pima Indian reservation, his experiences at an Indian boarding school, his military action in the Pacific, his deep depression following his return home, and his death at age 32. The author glosses over the less savory details of Hayess later years, but acknowledges his growing problems with alcoholism. The writing is clear and avoids fictionalized thoughts or dialogue. Soft, well-composed acrylic paintings support the text. Nelson cleverly obscures the faces of the soldiers in battle, emphasizing their anonymity, conveying the fact that any one of them could have been in Hayess position, and underscoring his struggle to accept attention that he believed to be undeserved (…the soldiers who died on Iwo Jima and in other battles were the real heroes). An authors note provides additional details and photographs. This book will prove a satisfying read for those in search of background on the iconic photograph, families looking for a patriotic story, and students seeking material on minority Americans.–Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
The short life of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian and one of the marines who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, is chronicled in a picture book for middle-graders. Shy and silent, Hayes found comfort first in the regimen of a government-run boarding school and then in the armed services during World War II. He and five other Marines were immortalized in that iconic image of raising the Stars and Stripes on a pole, which was later made into a bronze statue. Hailed as a hero upon his return, Hayes found it difficult to adjust to civilian life, sinking into despair and alcoholism, a disease that killed him 10 years later. Some of Nelson's acrylic images, like his language, are a bit stiff and stilted, but several spreads dynamically capture the fury of war, and the text is readable and informative. The author's note provides a bit more information about this well-known military moment. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
S. D. Nelson is a Lee and Low author.

Customer Reviews

Ira Hayes, American Hero
In his latest book, the award winning children's author, S.D. Nelson, presents a story that is obviously close to his heart. QUIET HERO details the life of Ira Hayes, one of the six young soldiers who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima during WWII. The colorful illustrations carry readers of all ages through Ira's childhood experiences in a boarding school for Native American children to the island battles of the Pacific Theater where he fought bravely with his battalion. While Nelson does not hide Ira Hayes' shortcoming, the vibrant, almost tangible texture of his pictures lovingly capture the spirit of Ira's story and his attention to historic details convey a potent admiration of this American Hero.

I have found this book to be both entertaining and educational for young readers.

Interesting story
S.D. Nelson, tells the story of one of the five Marines (and one Navy corpsman) who raised the flag on Mount Suibachi during the battle for Iwo Jima.

Hayes was from Arizona and a Pima Indian. Sent to the government run Phoenix Indian School as a teen, Hayes was a shy and lonely young man. He joined the Marines following Pearl Harbor and was sent into the Pacific war theater. Nelson recreates the historic flag-raising and subsequent media frenzy when the three surviving Marines returned home. Felix de Weldon's statue of Rosenthal's photograph became the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Va. Hayes faced great difficulty adjusting to life following the war and died within ten years of the flag-raising. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery.

This is a book that will be of great interest to those kids with an interest in the military and WWII. The illustrations make the book accessible to kids of all reading levels. An author's note at the end includes photographs of Hayes, the island of Iwo Jima as well as Rosenthal's famous photograph. A bibliography is also included which is an excellent way to demonstrate how authors cite their sources.

While watching the movie, "The Sands of Iwo Jima," recently, I was very interested in the scenes of the fighting on Iwo Jima.

In the movie as John Wayne and his men arrive at the summit of Mount Suibachi, Wayne's character calls for a detail to find a standard and raise the flag. As Wayne hands them the flag the shot is perfectly framed to include three men receiving the folded flag.

The real Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, and John Bradley, the three survivors among the five Marines who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi, were the ones receiving the flag in the scene.

Rewinding and doing the freeze frame thing, I was struck by a small detail in the scene. The two men on the left are looking directly at John Wayne as he hands them the flag. Their faces are fully visible. Ira Hayes is on the right and looks up briefly but for the rest of the time they are on screen, he keeps his chin down, not looking toward the camera at all.

Nelson's book makes a point of describing Hayes's very shy nature. Without knowing anything about their involvment in the film, I was interested at the body language of a man, ill at ease in the limelight.