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Militaria and Political Auction
Lot 1323:
John H Bradley
Archive Various Various
Various File Miscellaneous SYBCGO
John Henry Bradley (July 10, 1923 – January 11, 1994) was a United States Navy Hospital corpsman who was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in combat on February 21, 1945 while assigned to a U.S. Marine Corps rifle company during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.
Iwo Jima Flag Raiser John H. Bradley’s Personally Owned and Signed Medical Training
Booklet
A fantastic two piece set:
1)Bradley’s personally owned softcover handwritten booklet, 3.5" x 5.5". Front cover signed by John Bradley along with his grade and division, "John H. Bradley", "Ph.M 2C" grade, "Co E 28th Marines 5th Division Camp Pendleton", along with his notes of "24-30-20 Marval Hosp 138". Includes 25 pages of his detailed handwritten notes, and a pocket size emergency card titled "Chemical Warfare Pocket Reference Card", sized 5.5" x 4".
Personally owned by John Bradley, and handed down to his son, James Bradley who has certified the piece was from his personal collection. The signed certification will accompany the booklet. Covers rubbed, and slightly grubby. Spine is rubbed with slight edgewear and loss. Front page is detached
2) John H. Bradley’s very own Marine Corps War Memorial program from the 1954 Dedication. Softcover stapled program booklet with decorative satin tasseled cord, 6" × 9". Front cover dated November 10, 1954 Arlington Virginia, with a giltbronze raised relief design of the famous photo depicting the IWO Jima flag raising to the front. Eight page program on heavy paper stock., includes "Order of Event, Board of Directors, Dedication Committee, and the Story Of The Memorial". Personally owned by John Bradley, and handed down to his son, James Bradley who has certified the piece was from his personal collection. The signed certification will accompany the program. Wraps slightly age toned with faint handling marks , with the internal pages being clean and bright.
Bradly’s softcover handwritten booklet is a very personal artifact owned and used by John Bradley during his medical training at Camp Pendleton during WWII in 1944. Bradley served with this unit in the latter part of 1944 shortly before the 28th was deployed to IWO Jima, where Bradley raised the flag on Mount Suribachi and received the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism. The book has 25 pages of detailed medical notes required to pass the PhM2c test. His notes include those listing essential aspects of blood coagulation, blood pressure, valves of the blood vessels, anatomy of bones and muscles, joint motion, organ systems, etc. The PhM2c test allowed Bradley to become a medical specialist allowing him to work in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships, and as the primary medical caregivers for sailors while underway. Hospital corpsmen are frequently the only medical care-giver available in many fleet or Marine units on extended deployment. In addition, hospital corpsmen perform duties as assistants in the prevention and treatment of disease and injury and assist health care professionals in providing medical care to sailors and their families. The pocket size "Chemical Warfare Pocket Reference Card" lists out the names of various chemicals used as weapons, their odor, properties, symptoms on the human body, treatment and decontaminating agents.
Wonderfully complimented by Bradley’s personal memorial piece owned by John Bradley. The program was used in the 1954 Marine Corps War Memorial dedication which was the sculptural representation of Joe Rosenthal’s famous photo of the flat raising upon IWO Jima during WWII. The program reads " … a picture of six grimy, tired, disheveled men – far from home and the comforts of home – struggling to raise their flag on enemy soil … a flag which would announce to al who could see that one more step had been taken in the long march to victory and
peace."
The famous Marine Corps War memorial statue consists of front and rear inscriptions, and inscribed in gold letters around the polished black granite upper base of the memorial is the date and location of every United States Marine Corps major action up to the present time.
Front (west side): "Uncommon Valor Was A Common Virtue" – "Semper Fidelis"
Rear (east side): "In Honor And Memory Of The Men Of The United States Marine Corps Who Have Given Their Lives To Their Country Since 10 November 1775"
Along with a Marker for the Marine Corps
"Dedicated To The Marine Dead Of All Wars, And Their Comrades Of Other Services Who Fell Fighting Beside Them."
The flag raising at IWO Jima occurred twice in the battle. The first was at 8 AM on February 23, when Bradley and Navy corpsman, PhM2c. Gerald Ziehme (replaced PhiM3c. Langley who was wounded in action on February
21), were part of the 40-man combat patrol (mostly from Third Platoon, Easy Company) were sent to climb up the east slope of Mount Suribachi to seize and occupy the crest and to raise an American flag to signal that the mountaintop was captured. On top, the Marines found a steel pipe to attach the flag unto. The flagstaff was taken to the highest position on the crater. Seeing the raising of the national colors immediately caused loud cheering from the Marines, sailors, and Coast Guardsmen on the beach below and from the men on the ships near the beach. After the flag was raised, Bradley, who was with the group of Marines near the flagstaff, pitched in to help the flagstaff stay vertical in the terrific winds on the volcano.
The Second Flag raising, the one memorialized by the Pulitzer prize winning photo, was initiated using a larger flag in order for the American flag to be seen more easily from the ships, beaches, and land off and around Mount Suribachi. Marine Sgt. Michael Strank was ordered to ascend Mount Suribachi with Marines from his squad and raise the replacement flag and return with the first flag that was flying on top.
John Bradley was an awardee of both the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart for his contributions during the battle.
His handwritten booklet is a unique, very personal piece, used by Bradley for his medical training, with impeccable provenance. The fantastic example of this handsome war memorial program, pairs perfectly with his booklet and also was personally owned by John Bradley. Bradley was an awardee of both the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart for his contributions during the battle. The memorial stands today located on a high ridge, overlooking the national capital
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