|
The battle for Iwo Jima, a strategic island in the Pacific, was one of the deadliest land battles fought by Americans in World War II. Iwo Jima had been turned into an underground fortress by the Japanese; American marines had to fight for every square inch of the island. When five marines and a navy hospital corpsman reached the summit of Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island, freelance photographer Joe Rosenthal snapped a photograph of them raising the American flag. Sculptor Felix W. de Weldon was so inspired by the photograph that he constructed a life-size sculpture based upon the image. The bronze statue was cast in Brooklyn, transported to Washington in twelve pieces, and dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on November 10, 1954.
Standing upon a rock representing Mount Suribachi, each figure reaches a height of 32 feet. In their hands is a 60-foot long flagpole, with a cloth flag flying from the end. The pedestal of the memorial is emblazoned with the name of every major conflict the Marine Corps has fought in since its founding.
|