United States Marine Corps War Memorial

A Memorial to Courage and Freedom on Iwo Jima

A fraction of a second…one click of a camera…a flag raising...and a powerful image is captured that engrosses a war-weary nation and fuels its resolve to push for final victory. This memorial, inspired by and based upon that image, is a testament to the bravery, honor, courage, freedom, and sacrifice of the United States Marine Corps in its long and celebrated history.

The origins of the memorial lay on the small volcanic island of Iwo Jima, 660 nautical miles south of Tokyo. Iwo Jima’s location, midway between the Japanese home islands and American bomber bases in the Mariana Islands, was key to each country’s strategy in the final year of World War II.

By February 1945 the Japanese had constructed airfields on Iwo Jima. The airfields were used to launch attacks against U.S. bases in the Marianas and American long-range B-29 bombers. If the airfields were in American hands, U.S. fighter planes could escort bombing missions against Japan, and damaged bombers could use the island as a sanctuary.

The Japanese troops on Iwo Jima, commanded by Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi, had prepared a formidable series of defenses to protect the island. They vowed to defend it to their death. The Marines had the ability to take the island, but at what cost?

The battle for Iwo Jima lasted 36 days – from February 19 to March 26, 1945. Over 70,000 American troops, mostly Marines, under the command of Lt. Gen. Holland M. Smith, engaged over 21,000 Japanese defenders in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Almost 7,000 Marines, sailors, and soldiers were killed or missing during the battle and almost 20,000 were wounded. Only 1,100 Japanese soldiers survived.

Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz called the capture of Iwo Jima "as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward final victory as it was vital to the enemy in staving off ultimate defeat."

The Flag Raisings

Once ashore on February 19, 1945, the 28^th Regiment, 5^th Marine Division, began its assault on Mount Suribachi, an extinct volcano that rises 550 feet to dominate the southern tip of the fan-shaped island. The Marines reached the base of the mountain on the afternoon of February 21; by nightfall the next day they had almost completely surrounded it. On the morning of February 23, Company E, 2^nd Battalion, 28^th Marines, began the tortuous climb up the rough terrain to the top. At about 10:30 a.m., U.S. troops were thrilled to see a small American flag flying from atop Mount Suribachi.

That afternoon a second, larger flag (salvaged from Pearl Harbor) was raised by Marines Michael Strank, Harlon H. Block, Franklin R. Sousley, Rene A. Gagnon, and Ira Hayes, and Navy hospital corpsman John H. Bradley. News photographer Joe Rosenthal caught the afternoon flag raising in an inspiring photograph that won him a Pulitzer Prize and inspired the creation of the United States Marine Corps War Memorial.

Making the Memorial in the US National Parks

Sculptor Felix W. de Weldon, then with the U.S. Navy, found Rosenthal’s photograph so inspiring that he immediately began sculpting a small wax model of the scene. He was then asked to construct two nine-foot-tall versions for a war bond drive. De Weldon was subsequently commissioned to sculpt the present 78-foot-high memorial. Gagnon, Hayes, and Bradley, the three survivors of the flag raising (the others had been killed in later phases of the battle for Iwo Jima), posed for the sculptor. De Weldon modeled the others using available pictures and physical descriptions.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the memorial on November 10, 1954, the 179^th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps. It stands as a symbol of our nation’s gratitude to those Marines and their comrades of other services who have sacrificed their lives for their country. No public funds were used in the building of the memorial. Marines, Naval Service members, and friends donated the entire cost ($850,000).

Memorial Statistics

The 32-foot-high figures are depicted raising a 60-foot flagpole from which a flag flies 24 hours a day. They occupy positions similar to those in Rosenthal’s historic photograph. As you stand before the memorial, the four figures in front are, left to right, Hayes, Sousley, Bradley, and Block. The two in back are Strank (behind Sousley) and Gagnon (behind Bradley).

The six figures stand upon a jumble of igneous rock that represents the volcanic debris atop Mount Suribachi. On the memorial’s polished base, engraved and burnished in gold, are the names and dates of principal Marine Corps campaigns and battles.

Also inscribed on the base is the tribute of Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz to the fighting men on Iwo Jima: "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue." And below this is inscribed "Semper Fidelis" – Latin for "always faithful" – the motto of the United States Marine Corps.

The United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps was established by the Continental Congress in November 1775 to serve as shipboard infantry for the fledgling Continental Navy. Since then it has evolved into a multi-purpose force dedicated to the defense of freedom both in the United States and abroad.

From the first amphibious operations in the Revolutionary War through today’s efforts to promote freedom around the world, the U.S. Marine Corps has enjoyed a reputation as an effective fighting force throughout its over 230-year history. The names of principal campaigns engraved on the memorial are a testament to the sacrifices Marines have made in service to America.