U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial): 1954

The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, also called the Iwo Jima Memorial, is a tribute to all Marines who have lost their lives in service to our Nation. The choice of subject is unusual because it is based on a famous photograph from a World War II battle: the U.S. victory at Iwo Jima, a small island in the Pacific Ocean near Japan. The memorial is located in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and is directly north of Arlington National Cemetery.

On the morning of February 23, 1945, a small American flag was raised on Mount Suribachi after a long fight on the island. Later that afternoon, a larger American flag was raised by a groups of marines: Sgt. Michael Strank, Cpl. Harland H. Block, Pfc. Franklin R. Sousley, Pfc. Rene A. Gagnon, Pfc. Ira Hayes, and PhM. 2/c John H. Bradley, USN. News photographer Joe Rosenthal was there at the raising of the flag and took a photograph that later won a Pulitzer Prize. Felix W. de Weldon, a Navy sculptor, was so moved by the picture that he created a life-sized model of it. The sculpture based on that photograph was officially dedicated by President Eisenhower on November 10, 1954, on the 179th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The base of the memorial is made of Swedish granite. Written in gold are the names and dates of Marine Corps engagements since the founding of the organization and the inscription:

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

U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial facts and figures:

  • The figures in the sculpture stand 32 feet tall.
  • The post that the figures are raising is 60 feet tall.
  • The memorial is about 78 feet tall.
  • The M-I rifle carried by two of the figures is 16 feet long.
  • The carbine carried by the figures is 12 feet long.
  • The canteen would hold 32 gallons of water.
  • The statue was entirely paid for with funds from the U.S. Marines, friends of the Marine Corps, and members of the Naval Service; the total coast was $850,000.

To learn more, see the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial site.