US Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington

The United States Marine Corps War Memorial, often called the Iwo Jima Memorial, honors Marines who have died in service to the United States since the Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775. Dedicated on November 10, 1954, the monument was inspired by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal’s Pulitzer Prize-winning image of the second flag raising on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.

The centerpiece is a monumental bronze sculpture by Felix de Weldon, depicting five Marines and one U.S. Navy hospital corpsman raising the American flag. The figures are approximately 32 feet high and raise a 60-foot bronze flagpole, with the memorial reaching 78 feet from its granite base. Gold lettering around the polished Swedish granite base records names and dates of major Marine Corps engagements since 1775. Inscriptions include Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz’s words, “Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue,” and a dedication to Marines who gave their lives. The elevated grounds also provide views toward the Potomac River and national monuments.

The memorial hosts wreath ceremonies, military commemorations, and public events. During the summer parade season, selected Tuesday evenings feature the free Sunset Parade, performed by “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon. Visitors can examine the sculpture and campaign inscriptions while seeing how a wartime photograph became a memorial representing generations of Marine Corps service and sacrifice.