When I accepted an invitation six months ago to meet a 100-year-old World War II veteran named Fiske Hanley, I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. His publisher explained that his memoir had recently been reprinted and that he would be available in the Washington, D.C., area for a couple of days if I cared to interview him. His story sounded interesting, so I agreed.
Arriving at the hotel in Arlington, Virginia, where he was staying, I realized that not only was Fiske there, but so was every survivor of the Battle of Iwo Jima who was able to make the trip. It was their last gathering near the nation’s capital, and the living history was overwhelming.
.png)
.png)
