[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 121 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1712-E1713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF JOHN H. BRADLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAY W. JOHNSON

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 14, 1998

  Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, later this month, on September 
27, 1998, the National Funeral Directors Association will officially 
dedicate their new headquarters building in Brookfield, Wisconsin. On 
that day, they will honor and remember a very special man, John H. 
Bradley of Antigo, Wisconsin. He was a beloved husband and father, a 
committed community leader, a respected church member, and a funeral 
director by profession.
  When John Bradley passed away in 1994, he left his family and all of 
his many friends in Antigo with memories of a lifetime of loving 
concern and head work. They will undoubtedly never forget him.
  But there is another reason why John Bradley will never be forgotten. 
It is the result of a relatively short period in his life when he 
served his country when the world was at war. It is, not incidentally, 
a time in his life of which, I am told, John Bradely rarely spoke. I 
assure you that every day, just a short walk from our Nation's Capitol, 
thousands of Americans remember and salute him every day. Because John 
Bradley was one of six Marines who bravely thrust the American Flag 
into the soil of Mount Suribachi on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima on 
February 23, 1945. With that one act, John Bradley and his countrymen 
symbolized this country's fighting spirit and our willingness to 
sacrifice for freedom and democracy the world over. The planting of our 
Flag on that day is burned in our nation's history, and it has been 
rightfully commemorated as the Marine Corps War Memorial today. The 
valor of those six men has earned the respect of every U.S. citizen who 
has come after them.
  We should always remember that crucial 36-day assault in 1945 on Iwo 
Jima. Securing the island was vital to our country's position in the 
Pacific during World War II, but the toll was immense. When the last 
short was fired, 6,821 marines gave their lives to the effort, and 
greater than 20,000 more suffered casualties so that the United States 
could succeed and freedom could prosper. In the long and venerated 
history of the Marine Corps, Iwo Jima was the only battle where Marines 
took more casualties than the enemy.
  John Bradley took home the Navy Cross--our country's second highest 
award for bravery--for his actions at Iwo Jima. As a medical corpsman, 
he earned the medal for rushing to the aid of two injured Marines, and 
then protecting them with his body while he treated their wounds. His 
care for his fellow country men is even more significant because 
Bradley himself had been shot through both legs just moments before.
  How can our nation every repay the enormous sacrifice made by John 
Bradley and every other serviceman during those torturous battles? we 
can only come close by honoring their valor and preserving a democracy 
worthy of their effort.
  Mr. Speaker, as a veteran myself, I know my colleagues will join me 
today in saluting the full life of John Bradley, and his entire family 
for making Wisconsin and making this country a truly better place.

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