The main characters are those soldiers who participated in the Iwo Jima flag - raising. This includes the ones who actually raised the flag, like Ira Hayes, John Bradley, and Rene Gagnon. Each of them had their own story, their own journey to that fateful moment. For instance, Ira Hayes was a Native American who faced discrimination even after his heroic act. John Bradley was a medic. Their individual experiences and how they interacted during the war and after the flag - raising are central to the story.
In 'Flags of Our Fathers: The Real Story', the central characters are the men behind the iconic flag - raising on Iwo Jima. There's Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian, who struggled with post - war life and the sudden fame from the photo. John Bradley, a Navy corpsman, who was there doing his duty of saving lives. And Rene Gagnon, who also had his own story of how he ended up being part of that moment. These men's lives, their relationships with each other, and how they were affected by the events are what the story mainly focuses on. It also looks at other soldiers around them, who were part of the same battles and experiences on Iwo Jima.