Researching John Bradley

Bradley was generally known as being one of the men who raised the second U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, as depicted in the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by photographer Joe Rosenthal. On June 23, 2016, the Marine Corps announced publicly (after an investigation) that Bradley was not in the photograph. The man long thought to have been Bradley was identified as Private First Class Franklin Sousley, who had previously been thought to be in another position in the photograph, and the man who had been originally identified as Sousley was identified as Private First Class Harold Schultz. Bradley is one of three men who were originally identified incorrectly as flag-raisers in the photograph (the others being Hank Hansen and Rene Gagnon).

The first flag raised over Mount Suribachi at the south end of Iwo Jima was deemed too small. Although there were photographs taken of the first flag flying on Mount Suribachi after it was raised that include Bradley holding the flagstaff, there is no photograph of the first flag-raising. The second flag-raising photograph became famous and was widely reproduced. Bradley also was photographed near the second flag. After the battle, Bradley and two Marines were identified as surviving second flag-raisers and were reassigned to help raise funds for the Seventh War Loan drive.

The Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, is modeled after Rosenthal's photograph of six Marines raising the second flag on Iwo Jima.

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Bradley was educated at the University of Alberta and served in the Medical Branch of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. He co-founded the Wainwright Medical Clinic, working as a family physician for twenty years, and chaired the Alberta Hospital Services Commission. Bradley was executive director of the Glenrose Provincial Hospital from 1964 to 1972. He also served as special adviser on medical research to Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed. and served as chair emeritus for the board of governors for the University of Alberta.

He died at the Mount Royal Care Centre in Calgary at the age of 86.

The son of Henry John Bradley and Christina Dewar, he was born in Fonaghvale and was educated in Vankleek Hill and at Toronto University. In 1915, Bradley married Sadie Reid. He served on Pembroke town council, also serving as town mayor, and on Renfrew County council.

Bradley defeated R.E. Davis in 1934 to become the first Liberal elected in Renfrew North since 1908. He was reelected in 1937.

He died in Pembroke at the age of 76.