USMC War Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Marine Corps War Memorial (also called the Iwo Jima Memorial) is a military memorial
statue
outside the walls of the Arlington National Cemetery
and next to the Netherlands Carillon
, in Arlington, Virginia
, in the United States
. The memorial is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps
who have died in the defense of their country since 1775. The design of the massive sculpture by Felix de Weldon
was based on the iconic photo Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima
by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal
.
The memorial features the Marines and Sailor who raised the second flag over Iwo Jima: Sgt Michael Strank
, Cpl Harlon Block
, PFC Franklin Sousley
, PFC Rene Gagnon
, PFC Ira Hayes
, PM2
John Bradley
.
The location and date of every major Marine Corps engagement up to the present are inscribed around the base of the memorial. The base is made entirely in the deep black diabase
of Lönsboda
, a small town and a quarry
in the southernmost province of Sweden
.
The memorial was officially dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
on November 10, 1954, the 179th anniversary of the Marine Corps. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy
issued a proclamation that a Flag of the United States
should fly from the memorial 24 hours a day, one of the few official sites where this is required.
The Marines of Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
use the memorial as a centerpiece of the weekly Sunset Parade featuring the Drum and Bugle Corps
and by the Silent Drill Platoon.
at the Marine Military Academy
, a private Marine Corps-inspired youth military academy. The Academy is also the final resting place of Corporal Block, who was killed in action
on Iwo Jima.
The National Iwo Jima Memorial
in Newington, Connecticut
uses a similar design and is dedicated to the 6,821 US servicemen who died in the battle.
There are also scaled-down replicas at three Marine bases: just outside the front gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico
in Virginia
, adjacent to the parade deck at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
in South Carolina
, and just inside the main gate at Marine Corps Base Hawaii
in Kāne'ohe Bay
, Hawaii
.
Another statue is located at Fall River
Bicentennial Park in Massachusetts
.
Another statue is located in Cape Coral, Florida.
A version of the memorial dedicated in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II stands in Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania
.
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
outside the walls of the Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
and next to the Netherlands Carillon
Netherlands Carillon
The Netherlands Carillon adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery was a gift from the people of the Netherlands to the people of the United States of America in 1954. The gift was made to thank the United States for its aid during and after World War II. First installed at a nearby site in 1954,...
, in Arlington, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The memorial is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who have died in the defense of their country since 1775. The design of the massive sculpture by Felix de Weldon
Felix de Weldon
Felix Weihs de Weldon was an American sculptor. His most famous piece is the Marine Corps War Memorial of five U.S. Marines and one sailor raising the flag of the United States on Iwo Jima during World War Two.-Biography:...
was based on the iconic photo Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.The photograph was extremely...
, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal
Joe Rosenthal
Joseph John Rosenthal was an American photographer who received the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic World War II photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima. His picture became one of the best-known photographs of the war.-Early life:Joseph Rosenthal was born on...
.
The memorial features the Marines and Sailor who raised the second flag over Iwo Jima: Sgt Michael Strank
Michael Strank
Michael Strank was a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He was photographed raising the flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The leader of the group in the famous picture was Strank, who got the order to climb Mt. Suribachi to lay telephone wire...
, Cpl Harlon Block
Harlon Block
Harlon Henry Block was a United States Marine during World War II. Born in Texas, Block joined the Marine Corps in November 1943 and subsequently saw action during the Battle of Bougainville and the Battle of Iwo Jima where he was killed in action...
, PFC Franklin Sousley
Franklin Sousley
Franklin Runyon Sousley was one of the six men in the famous photograph of United States Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima in World War II.-Childhood:...
, PFC Rene Gagnon
Rene Gagnon
Rene Arthur Gagnon was one of the U.S. Marines immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's famous World War II photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.-Early life:...
, PFC Ira Hayes
Ira Hayes
Ira Hamilton Hayes was a Pima Native American and an American Marine who was one of the six men immortalized in the iconic photograph of the flag raising on Iwo Jima during World War II. Hayes was an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community in Sacaton, Arizona, and enlisted in the Marine...
, PM2
United States Navy Hospital Corpsman
A Hospital Corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist for the United States Navy who serves with Navy and United States Marine Corps units. The Hospital Corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships,...
John Bradley
John Bradley (Iwo Jima)
John Henry "Jack" "Doc" Bradley was a United States Navy corpsman during World War II, and one of the six men who took part in raising the Flag on Iwo Jima...
.
History
In 1951, work commenced on creating a cast bronze memorial based on the photo, with the figures 32 feet (9.8 m) tall and the flagpole 60 feet (18.3 m) long. The granite base of the memorial bears two inscriptions:- "In honor and memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since 10 November 1775"
- "Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue." This is a tribute by AdmiralAdmiral (United States)In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Chester NimitzChester NimitzFleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
to the fighting men on Iwo Jima.
The location and date of every major Marine Corps engagement up to the present are inscribed around the base of the memorial. The base is made entirely in the deep black diabase
Diabase
Diabase or dolerite is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. In North American usage, the term diabase refers to the fresh rock, whilst elsewhere the term dolerite is used for the fresh rock and diabase refers to altered material...
of Lönsboda
Lönsboda
Lönsboda is the second largest locality in Osby Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 1,899 inhabitants in 2005.Lönsboda is situated in north-eastern Scania, about 20 km east of the municipal seat Osby and near the provincial border to Blekinge and Småland....
, a small town and a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
in the southernmost province of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
The memorial was officially dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
on November 10, 1954, the 179th anniversary of the Marine Corps. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
issued a proclamation that a Flag of the United States
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
should fly from the memorial 24 hours a day, one of the few official sites where this is required.
The Marines of Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. is located at 8th and I Streets, Southeast in Washington, D.C. Established in 1801, it is a National Historic Landmark, the oldest post in the United States Marine Corps, the official residence of the Commandant of the Marine Corps since 1806, and main ceremonial...
use the memorial as a centerpiece of the weekly Sunset Parade featuring the Drum and Bugle Corps
United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps
The United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps is the drum and bugle corps of the United States Marine Corps. The D&B is now the only full time active duty drum corps in the United States Armed Forces. As one of many United States military bands, the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps...
and by the Silent Drill Platoon.
Similar statues
The original plaster working model of the statue currently stands in Harlingen, TexasHarlingen, Texas
Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, United States, about from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than , and is the second largest city in Cameron County and the sixth largest in the Rio Grande Valley...
at the Marine Military Academy
Marine Military Academy
The Marine Military Academy is a private college preparatory academy located in Harlingen, Texas, offering a college preparatory curriculum for boys in grades 8–12 plus one-year of post-graduate study. The school was founded in 1965...
, a private Marine Corps-inspired youth military academy. The Academy is also the final resting place of Corporal Block, who was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
on Iwo Jima.
The National Iwo Jima Memorial
National Iwo Jima Memorial
The US National Iwo Jima Memorial is located on Ella Grasso Boulevard, near the New Britain/Newington town line in Connecticut. It was erected by the Iwo Jima Survivors Association, Inc. of Newington, Connecticut. It was dedicated on February 23, 1995 on the 50th anniversary of the historic flag...
in Newington, Connecticut
Newington, Connecticut
Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 29,306. The Connecticut Department of Transportation has its headquarters in Newington....
uses a similar design and is dedicated to the 6,821 US servicemen who died in the battle.
There are also scaled-down replicas at three Marine bases: just outside the front gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, adjacent to the parade deck at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, and just inside the main gate at Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps Base Hawaii , formerly Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps base facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County of Honolulu. As of the 2000 Census, the base had a...
in Kāne'ohe Bay
Kane'ohe Bay
Kāneohe Bay, at 45 km², is the largest sheltered body of water in the main Hawaiian Islands. This reef-dominated embayment constitutes a significant scenic and recreational feature along the windward coast of the Island of Oahu...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Another statue is located at Fall River
Fall River
-Cities and towns:In Canada:*Fall River, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:*Fall River, Kansas*Fall River, Massachusetts, the largest city with this name*Fall River, Tennessee*Fall River, Wisconsin*Fall River County, South Dakota-Rivers:In Canada:...
Bicentennial Park in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Another statue is located in Cape Coral, Florida.
A version of the memorial dedicated in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II stands in Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania
Elysburg, Pennsylvania
Elysburg is a census-designated place in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,067 at the 2000 census. The area's biggest attraction is Knoebels Amusement Park, which has two wooden roller coasters.-Demographics:...
.
Number of hands
There are twelve hands in the memorial corresponding to the six figures depicted. A persistent rumor has attributed the existence of a thirteenth hand to the sculptor's wish to symbolize either all the other Marines who made the flag raising possible, or the hand of God. When informed of the rumor, de Weldon exclaimed, "Thirteen hands. Who needed 13 hands? Twelve were enough."See also
- National Museum of the Marine CorpsNational Museum of the Marine CorpsThe National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. It is located in Quantico, Virginia and is open to the public with free admission. The museum had its grand opening on November 10, 2006 and is now the number one tourist attraction in Virginia,...
- Iron MikeIron MikeIron Mike is the de facto name of various monuments commemorating servicemen of the United States military. The term "Iron Mike" is uniquely American slang used to refer to men who are especially tough, brave, and inspiring; it was originally a nautical term for a gyrocompass, used to keep a ship...
- United States Navy MemorialUnited States Navy MemorialThe United States Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 7th Street Northwest and 9th Street Northwest in Washington, D.C., honors those who have served or are currently serving in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the Merchant Marine....