Sands of Iwo Jima

In a role that defined John Wayne in the American mythos, the Duke earned an Oscar nod for portraying Sgt. John Stryker, a tough-as-nails Marine charged with turning recruits into fighting men during World War II. Though his troops and peers question his harsh methods, Stryker's methods prove useful on the Iwo Jima battlefields. Director Allan Dwan punctuates the drama with real combat footage and a hypnotizing flag-raising scene on Mount Suribachi.