Photos

Yes, I know, I wish I had goten in the whole flag... but I still like this pic. It's the Marine Corps War Memorial, also often called the Iwo Jima memorial, dedicated to all personnel of the USMC who have died since 1775. It was based on the photograph from the Battle of Iwo Jima. The photographer died not too long ago. Work was begun on it in 1951. The cast bronze figures are 32 feet tall and the flagpole is 60 feet long. The granite base bears two inscriptions, one the dedication and another which states: "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue," a tribute by Admiral Chester Nimitz to those who fought at Iwo Jima. It was officially dedicated by Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954 on the 179th anniversary of the US Marine Corps. In 1961, Pres. Kennedy declared that the flag would fly 24 hours a day. It's located near the Arlington National Cemetery.