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Marine Corps War Memorial

Alright, let's get this over with. You want to know about this… monument. Fine. Don't expect me to wax poetic. It's a hunk of bronze, commemorating men who did things. And apparently, they thought it was worth memorializing.

Marine Corps War Memorial

The United States of America has this thing called the Marine Corps War Memorial. They also call it the Iwo Jima Memorial, which, frankly, tells you more than the official name. It’s dedicated to all the Marines who decided their lives were worth less than… well, whatever they were fighting for. It was unveiled on November 10, 1954. That’s 71 years ago, for anyone counting.

Location

It’s situated in Arlington Ridge Park, in Arlington County, Virginia. Close to Washington, D.C., because apparently, national monuments tend to cluster. It sits near the Ord-Weitzel Gate to Arlington National Cemetery and the Netherlands Carillon. The National Park Service took ownership in 1955. They probably give it a good dusting now and then.

Design

The whole thing was conceived by a sculptor named Felix de Weldon. The architect was Horace Peaslee. The inscription, "Uncommon Valor Was A Common Virtue," is supposed to be inspiring. Or maybe just a reminder. It’s in honor of the men of the United States Marine Corps who gave their lives since November 10, 1775. A long time to be giving your life, apparently.

History

The inspiration for this… structure… is that infamous 1945 photograph. You know the one. Six Marines scrambling to plant a flag on top of Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Joe Rosenthal, an Associated Press photographer, took it. De Weldon, serving in the Navy at the time, saw the photo and apparently felt compelled to sculpt it. He whipped up a maquette in a single weekend at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. He and Peaslee then drafted the proposal. Congress didn’t have the funds during the war, naturally. So, in 1947, they formed a foundation to beg for donations.

The Original Photograph

There’s also a portion of color film, shot by Sgt. Bill Genaust, USMC, of the second flag-raising. It’s from the 1945 film To the Shores of Iwo Jima. It supposedly proves the whole thing wasn't staged. Which, I suppose, is important to some people.

The six Marines immortalized in bronze are:

De Weldon, the sculptor, apparently put the finishing touches on the full-size plaster model in his studio. It was then cut into 108 pieces, sand-cast in bronze, and welded together. Took about 3.5 years. Efficient.

Installation began in September 1954.

The Sculpture

The centerpiece, as if you couldn't tell, is the sculpture of those six Marines raising the second, larger U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi. The first flag was apparently too small to be seen by everyone. So, they swapped it. Because visibility is key, I guess.

Sgt. Bill Genaust filmed the event in color. He was killed later, entering a cave. His remains are lost. The identities of the flag-raisers in Rosenthal's photo have been a bit of a mess, with changes made over the years. As of the last update, they are listed as:

The United States Congress finally approved the commission in 1951. The Marine Corps League accepted it and picked De Weldon. He spent three years on the plaster model, with figures 32 feet (9.8 m) tall. Then, the bronze casting. Peaslee’s base is made of black diabase granite, imported from a quarry in [Lönsboda], Sweden. It’s covered in inscriptions. Groundbreaking was on February 19, 1954, nine years to the day after the landing. General Lemuel Shepherd, the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps, did the honors.

The bronze parts were cast in Brooklyn, New York. Took about three months. Then they were shipped back to Arlington in a dozen pieces, along with a 60-foot (18 m) flagpole. The whole thing cost $850,000. Mostly funded by Marines, active and reserve. No public money, apparently. How quaint.

The dedication was November 10, 1954, the Corps' 179th birthday. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was there. Vice President Richard Nixon. Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Anderson. Orme Lewis from the Interior Department. General Shepherd. Military chaplains. Speeches from Anderson, Colonel J.W. Moreau (President of the Foundation), Lewis, and Shepherd. Nixon gave the main address. It all ended with taps.

President John F. Kennedy decreed in 1961 that a Flag of the United States must fly over the memorial 24 hours a day. It’s one of the few places where that’s mandatory. Even though the sculpture depicts a flag with 48 stars, they fly a modern one. Because, you know, it’s about all Marines, not just the ones from 1945. Details.

The memorial is the backdrop for the weekly Sunset Parade at Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.. The Drum and Bugle Corps and the Silent Drill Platoon put on a show.

Memorial Marker and Inscriptions

There are inscriptions on the front and rear. The polished black granite base has the dates and locations of major United States Marine Corps actions inscribed in gold.

  • Front (west side): "Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue" – "Semper Fidelis"
  • Rear (east side): "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"

That "uncommon valor" quote is from Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz himself, from March 17, 1945. He said it about the battle: "The United States Marines, by their individual and collective courage, have conquered a base which is as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward final victory as it was vital to the enemy in staving off ultimate defeat.... Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue." Quite the mouthful.

De Weldon and Rosenthal's names are on the front base. Rosenthal’s was added in 1982.

Marker Text

The inscribed marker reads:

"Dedicated to the Marine Dead of All Wars, and Their Comrades of Other Services Who Fell Fighting Beside Them.

Created By Felix De Weldon, And Inspired By The Immortal Photograph Taken By Joseph J. Rosenthal On February 23, 1945, Atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands.

Erected By The Marine Corps War Memorial Foundation, With Funds Provided By Marines and Their Friends, and with the Cooperation and Support of Many Public Officials.

Dedicated, November 10, 1954"

Major Action Inscriptions

These are the wars and conflicts listed:

Memorial Rumor and Criticism

There’s a persistent rumor about a thirteenth hand on the sculpture. People speculate why. De Weldon, when asked, apparently said, "Thirteen hands. Who needed thirteen hands? Twelve were enough." Sounds about right.

J. Carter Brown, who chaired the United States Commission of Fine Arts, once called the memorial "kitsch". He said it was effective because of its site, but the sculptor wouldn’t be remembered like Michelangelo. This apparently caused a stir. People demanded his resignation. The commission staff disagreed. Honestly, who cares? It’s a statue.

Refurbishment

In 2015, a philanthropist named David Rubenstein donated over five million dollars to fix it up. His father was a Marine veteran. The money went to cleaning, waxing, polishing, regilding, landscaping, and repairs. It was the first major refurbishment since it was dedicated. It was done in three phases, finishing in 2018.

Related Memorials

Prototype

There’s an original 1945 cast-stone prototype. It was last shown at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum from 1995 to 2007. De Weldon paid for it himself when government funds were scarce. It was stored for a while, then restored and displayed, then back into storage. It was supposed to be auctioned in 2013 but didn't get enough bids.

Replicas and Related Memorials

And that's that. Just a pile of facts about a monument. Don't ask me to feel anything about it.