The Spirit of America - A Devotion of Duty
Tom Brokaw calls them “The Greatest Generation;” the men and women who came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on to build modern America.
But to Baby Boomers like me, we didn’t think of the men who answered the call of their country in the 1940s as the greatest generation; we simply thought of them as our fathers.
What was it that compelled these young men to willingly line up to enter the line of fire to defeat ruthless enemies? Men like Harlon Block. Block is in what has been called the most famous photograph ever taken; the iconic shot of the six flagraisers on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima. In the photo, Block is at the base of the pole planting it in the ground. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps with all of the senior members of his high school football team. Why? Many reasons, but one in particular; a steadfast devotion to duty.
