Associated Locations:
- Iwo Jima – Location of battle
Associated Dates:
- 19 February – Battle on Iwo Jima starts
What is the godly legacy of the fathers of World War II? Their story has not been told — until now!
More than 406,000 American soldiers died during the Second World War, leaving an estimated 183,000 children fatherless. Hundreds of thousands of other U.S. troops did return, but many never connected with their children. However, within the ranks of these survivors was a remarkable collection of men who made it their life mission to speak the providences of God and the meaning of manhood to the boys who would one day fill their shoes. Through wartime letters and present-day pilgrimages to the bloody battlefields of their youth, the ancient warriors have spoken. Their thankful children rise to honor and surpass their legacy. They are “The League of Grateful Sons.”
Meet tough-as-nails Marine “Colonel” Bill Henderson. He survived thirty-six days of brutal fighting on Iwo Jima and maintained moral purity, while in the midst of immoral wartime circumstances, because of the influence of his manly Christian father. Meet P-51 Mustang flyboy Bill Brown. He was shot down over Japan, but survived to train generations to sing praises to God. Now in their eighties, these ancient warriors return to the black sand of Iwo Jima to disciple a new generation in the art of Christian manhood.
Joining them are sons whose fathers never returned — the Isacks brothers and “Johnny Boy” Butler — all heirs to a treasure trove of fatherly wisdom penned from the battlefield.
Shot on location on Iwo Jima, Guam, Hawaii, and in Texas, and directed by veteran filmmaker, Geoff Botkin, The League of Grateful Sons will leave you grateful for America’s heroic fathers and motivated to surpass their legacy.
One thought to “The League of Grateful Sons”
This was a neat video to watch. The power of a fathers legacy is unimaginable, and endless. The way that a fathers faith is intentionally passed from one generation to another through his actions as well as his words, is inspiring and a large responsibility– and this documentary shows that importance.