Marine Corps War Memorial
| Marine Corps War Memorial | |
|---|---|
| United States of America | |
Marine Corps War Memorial
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| For the Marine dead of all wars, and their comrades of other services who fell fighting beside them. | |
| Unveiled | November 10, 1954 63 years ago |
| Location |
38°53′25.7″N 77°04′10.85″W / 38.890472°N 77.0696806°W near Rosslyn, Virginia |
| Designed by |
Felix de Weldon (sculptor) Horace W. Pealee (architect) |
|
Uncommon Valor Was A Common Virtue
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 |
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The United States Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial) is a national monument located in Arlington County, Virginia, in the United States. Dedicated 63 years ago in 1954, it is located in Arlington Ridge Park, near the Ord-Weitzel Gate to Arlington National Cemetery and the Netherlands Carillon. The war memorial is dedicated to all U.S. Marine Corps personnel who died in the defense of the United States since 1775.
The memorial was inspired by the iconic 1945 photograph of six Marines raising a U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. It was taken by Associated Press combat photographer Joe Rosenthal. Upon first seeing the photograph, sculptor Felix de Weldon created a maquette for a sculpture based on the photo in a single weekend at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, where he was serving in the Navy. He and architect Horace W. Peaslee designed the memorial. Their proposal was presented to Congress, but funding was not possible during the war. In 1947, a federal foundation was established to raise funds for the memorial.
The centerpiece of the memorial is a colossal sculpture group depicting the six Marines who raised the second (and larger) replacement U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945. They were: Marine Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon Block, Private First Class Rene Gagnon, Private First Class Ira Hayes, Private First Class Franklin Sousley, and Private First Class Harold Schultz.
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