This powerful story documents the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of extraordinary navy corpsman George Wahlen. After decades of silence, this survivor of one of World War II's most horrific battles divulges the gritty details of his incredible experiences. Upon landing with a company of 250 marines, Wahlen fought alongside them. Under repeated grenade and mortar fire himself, Wahlen refused evacuation, choosing instead to aid those he perceived to be in greater danger. Witnesses of his heroics remain dumbfounded he survived, and while his incredible feats of bravery saved countless marines, the intensity of the battle left few men of the company unscathed--they suffered the highest killed-in-action ratio of any marine company during a single battle in U.S. history. The significance of his story lies in the historic context of the battle for Iwo Jima; while many remember the iconic flag-raising photograph captured during this conflict, few realize the battle was the most costly of World War II for America. After receiving a Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman in 1945, Wahlen has been the quintessential quiet hero, refusing the adulation usually bestowed on nationally recognized veterans.

Experience Iwo Jima, arguably the bloodiest battle of the modern era, from the perspective of an extraordinary battlefield medic, George Wahlen. As a Navy corpsman he was targeted by the Japanese, making his job of saving the injured even that much more deadly. How he saved so many lives is among the many mysteries of his incredible story. After earning three purple hearts in a matter of days, witnesses of Wahlen's heroics remain dumbfounded that he actually survived. For his actions he was awarded the Medal of Honor, America's highest military honor. But after the war, he told no one about the medal. Even his wife didn't know he was a national hero for many years after their marriage. For more than six decades he has kept the details of his story to himself, but family and friends have since convinced him to tell the gritty details of his war-time experience. His story is told using over 180 rare and unpublished photographs, many of which were previously censored for being too graphic for public sensitivities. As many now learn of Wahlen's survival, sacrifice and bravery, his story is considered among the most dramatic accounts of heroism in U.S. military history.

This powerful story documents the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of extraordinary navy corpsman George Wahlen. After decades of silence, this survivor of one of World War II's most horrific battles divulges the gritty details of his incredible experiences. Upon landing with a company of 250 marines, Wahlen fought alongside them. Under repeated grenade and mortar fire himself, Wahlen refused evacuation, preferring to aid those he perceived to be in greater danger. Witnesses of his heroics remain dumbfounded he survived, and while his incredible feats of bravery saved countless marines, the intensity of the battle left few men of the company unscathed-they suffered the highest killed-in-action ratio of any marine company during a single battle in U.S. history. The significance of his story lies in the historic context of the battle for Iwo Jima; while many remember the iconic flag-raising photograph captured during this conflict, few realize the battle was the most costly of World War II for America. After receiving a Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman in 1945, Wahlen has been the quintessential quiet hero, refusing the adulation usually bestowed on nationally recognized war heroes.