Something More Than A Statue

Before World War II, there were no national memorials honoring American veterans, and this became the first. Working for the Navy when he first saw the flag-raising photo, sculptor Felix de Weldon was powerfully inspired and began at once, creating his first small statue in only 48 hours. He then secured approval from the Marine Corps and Congress to create something grander, hoping for monumental art that could “encompass the valiant spirit of our fighting men and thrill the heart of the Nation.” He worked on the project for nine years. Dedicated on 10 November 1954, the memorial was made of bronze and black granite from Sweden, stood 78 feet tall, and cost $850,000, paid for by individual Marines and friends of the Corps. The finished statue was 64 times larger than de Weldon’s first mockup, and three Marines who survived Iwo Jima posed for the artist in their combat gear.

Washington, District of Columbia · United States