Editing Sands of Iwo Jima (section)

==Plot==
[[Corporal]] Robert Dunne recounts the story of tough-as-nails career Marine [[Sergeant]] John Stryker. Initially he is greatly disliked by the men of his squad, particularly the combat replacements, for the rigorous training he puts them through. He is especially despised by [[Private first class|PFC]] Peter "Pete" Conway, the arrogant, college-educated son of Colonel Sam Conway (whom Stryker served under until the Colonel's death on Guadalcanal, and admired), and PFC Al Thomas who blames Stryker for his demotion.

While the unit is in New Zealand, Conway meets Allison Bromley, and marries her a day before the unit goes to Tarawa. Stryker, whose wife left him years ago and took custody of their son, drinks himself to submission and has to be saved from a naval shore patrol by his men.

When Stryker leads his squad in the [[Battle of Tarawa|invasion of Tarawa]], the men begin to appreciate his methods. The platoon commander, Lieutenant Baker, is killed seconds after he lands on the beach, and PFCs "Farmer" Soames and "Ski" Choynski are wounded. The Marines are pinned down by a [[pillbox (military)|pillbox]]. Several more men, including PFC Shipley, are killed before Stryker is able to demolish the pillbox with a satchel charge.

Later on, Thomas stops for coffee when he goes to get ammunition for two comrades. As a result, he returns too late&nbsp;— the two Marines run out of ammunition, and Hellenopolis is killed, while Bass is badly wounded. On their first night, the squad is ordered to dig in and hold their positions. Alone and wounded in no-man's-land, Bass begs for help. Conway considers Stryker brutal and unfeeling when he refuses to disobey orders and go to Bass's rescue.

After the battle, Soames and Bass return, and when Stryker discovers Thomas's [[dereliction of duty|dereliction]] from Bass, he provokes a fistfight with him. A passing officer spots this serious offense, but Thomas claims that Stryker was merely teaching him [[judo]]. Later, a guilt-ridden Thomas abjectly apologizes to Stryker for his dereliction of duty.

Back on leave, Stryker reveals a softer side while on leave in [[Honolulu]]. He picks up a [[bargirl]] and goes with her to her apartment. He becomes suspicious when he hears somebody in the next room, but upon investigation, finds only a hungry baby boy. Stryker gives the woman some money and leaves.

Later, during a training exercise, McHugh, a replacement, drops a live [[hand grenade]]. Everybody drops to the ground, except Conway, who is distracted reading a letter from his wife. Stryker knocks him down, saving his life, and then proceeds to bawl him out in front of the platoon.

Stryker and his squad are deployed to the [[battle of Iwo Jima]] where they suffer heavy casualties within the first couple of hours, with McHugh and PFC Harris being killed, and Soames and Frank Flynn being wounded. Stryker's squad is selected to be a part of the 40-man patrol assigned to charge up [[Mount Suribachi]]. Conway, who has frequently expressed fears that he is going to die himself, saves Stryker from being killed by a surprise attack, and tells Stryker he is going to name his new baby son Sam, his father's name; Stryker smiles and says a Navy Cross winner's name is good enough for the boy. During the charge up the hill, Eddie Flynn, Stein, and Fowler are all killed.

While the men are resting during a lull in the fighting, and shortly after Stryker says he has never been better, he is suddenly shot dead by a Japanese soldier emerging from a [[spider hole]]; that soldier is quickly killed by Bass. The remaining squad members find a letter Stryker wrote but never sent to his son. In it, Stryker expresses emotions he wanted to say to him but never did. Moments later, the surviving squad members witness the iconic [[Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima|flag raising on Iwo Jima]]. Conway, who has promised to finish Stryker's unfinished letter, echoes Stryker's iconic words "Saddle up", and leads the men back into the war.