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Bond Tour
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President Roosevelt paid for WWII by selling
Bonds to the US public. Today the President of the US can just spend our
money on war without consulting us, the taxpayers.
There had been six "Bond Tours" that toured the country to inspire Americans to buy bonds, all elaborate shows consisting of stadium appearances, spotlights, music, war heroes and Hollywood stars. And FDR needed more money for the war effort. He needed the 7th Bond Tour be a big hit. |
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 Click to see a large view. |
Two months before he died, Roosevelt picked
up a copy of The New York Times. "There it is again!" he thought as he
eyed the photo of the flag raising. He was amazed how many times the newspapers
were reprinting the AP newsphoto. Publishers across the country were profiting
by printing "special editions" of their newspapers featuring only reprints
of the picture. The American Public couldn't get enough of it.
Then the idea hit him. "Get me Henry Morgenthau, please," FDR asked the White House Operator. When his Secretary of the Treasury came on the line, FDR said, "Hank, I've got it. I've got the symbol, the theme for the Seventh Bond Tour. It's the flag raising picture. People love it. Let's get the boys who raised it back here. They'll lead the 7th (Bond Tour)" FDR, sensing a public relations coup, put out a Presidential Order to "Transfer immediately by air to Washington, D.C. the 6 men who appear in the Rosenthal photograph of flag raising at Mt. Suribachi." |
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The symbol for FDR's "7th Bond Drive." Artist's
rendition of the famous photo.
For the next two months everyone in America would see this picture over
and over. You couldn't avoid it. It hung in:
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 Click to see a large view. |
President Truman greets the flag-raising survivors.
The 7th Bond Tour raised $24 Billion (1945 Dollars) for the US Treasury, more than any other bond tour. To put this into perspective, the total US Budget in 1946 was $56 Billion. This would be the largest borrowing from the American public in history. |
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The three survivors view the 7th Bond Tour
Poster in Washington, D.C. just after their meeting with President Truman.
Flag Raisers Bradley, Hayes & Gagnon outside the Oval Office. April 20, 1945. Later that day members of the President's cabinet, the US Senate and the House of Representatives applauded as the three raised their Iwo Jima flag over the US Capitol. That evening the three survivors were guests of the US Senate at a baseball game in Griffith Stadium. The stadium announcer introduced the trio as they stood at homeplate acknowledging a standing ovation by 35,000 fans. |
 Click to see a large view. |
Kicking off the Bond Tour. Times Square. May
1945.
Mayor LaGuardia watches Hayes, Gagnon and Bradley raise the flag over a 55 ft. high replica of the picture in Times Square. 1.4 Million New Yorkers showed up. |
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A quick smoke before their tumultuous welcome
by 45,000 cheering Chicagoans at Soldiers Field.
Hayes, Bradley & Gagnon. Soldiers Field, Chicago. June, 1945. They toured New York, Boston, Washington, DC, Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, Rochester, Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Phoenix and Los Angeles. |
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The Original Flag that flew over Mt. Suribachi.
Gagnon, Bradley and assistant.
This flag is now in the Marine Corps Museum, Washington, D.C. |
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My Dad was on Iwo. He was in the Marines 4th Division, K-battery, 4th Battalion, 14th Marines. (Hope I got all that right.) His name was Bill Icenhour and he is alive and doing very well for an 87 year old Marine. If you were in his group I know he would love to hear from you. He keeps in touch with Gene Yde who was in the same group.
My grandfather Joseph Mathis fought on Iwo with the 4th Marine Div, 2nd Bn, 24th Marines, G company. I am looking for anyone who has any information about his company or photos. Thanks. I also have photos of my grandfather with Don Thatcher from the 5th Marine Div and also Robert Seymour 3rd Mar div, 9th Marines for anyone seeking information on these Marines. Thanks
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Ira Hayes died because of a drinking problem. He was not forgotten as a hero, he hated to be called a hero because he felt guilty that he had survived after the war. The real heroes, he believed, were "his buddies" that died on Iwo Jima.
Thanks so much i love this site, it has helped me so much with my report!
hello my brother loves learning bout iwo jima and always wanted to meet a veteran from iwo jima and i alos think ita amazing bye
There was an American Indian who as a US soldier helped raise that flag and he died on the side of a road. This to needs to be remembered that a hero was forgotten by the people for whom he fought. A tragedy that seems echoed by the travails of soldiers from Nam, Korea and now Iraq.
Hi, Robert Eugene Bush was my dads brother, Killed on Iwo Jima. do you have any information you can share on him. My Dad was MSGT Richard E. Bush Sr. USMC.
thank you
r-bush jr.
im only 15 years old but im pround that they were humble about raising the flag thank you for ending world war 2
in the memory of those who died in the years of 1939-1945
I had the pleasure of meeting John Bradley in his Antigo funeral home and what a nice meeting it was. I gave him pictures I took in Kentucky at the dedication of a monument to Franklin Sousley at his gravesite.
LeRoy Paulin
Both those who died and those who lived were real heros. I have been looking for information about my Uncle Charles Dark who died 65 years ago today on Iwo Jima I have a lot but would like to find someone who new him God Bless all of them
I am 16 years old and this is probably the only subject in history that i love reading about..It is also amaizing to see the pictures that were taken a while ago. You can ask me anything about Iwo Jima except for the people that is but i love this subject. This is a good reason why we should raise our heads and say to our fellow Americans " This is why we are free and to live a free country" Just think about 60% of Americans dont even think about us in a war all they think about is their lives and they dont ever think about the people that have and that do put their lives on the line for our free America
GOD BLESS AMERICA
if you actually knew you would say that there was TWO flags that were risin
I am sorry thatI missed Morning Joe due to being in the hospital, been home @ two weeks but not sure how long. I have four feet on my coner walls with everyone connected with both flag raising and it is most moving to see this. On the bottom of all the pictures I have a picture of John "Doc" Bradley and beside him is John again in a double 8X10 frame. One side he is about 17 to 18 years old and the other side he is well into his 60's. When my friends come to visit me they are amazed, when I have a bad day I just take a minite and look at these boys and see just how lucky I really am after 35 years in the service, from the Korea conflick to two tours in Viet Nam, so I know just what that feeling is. Thanks for leting me share a little about the boys.........Rody
The original flag raised at Iwo Jima now hangs at the Marine Corps museum at Quantico, Virginia. The battle for Iwo Jima has its own gallery at the museum and that is where the flag can be seen