Rosslyn in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
70,000 Marines Helped Raise That Flag on Iwo Jima
US Marine Corps War Memorial, George Washington Memorial Parkway
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 2, 2019
1. 70,000 Marines Helped Raise That Flag on Iwo Jima Marker
"…to Marines it's not about the individuals and never has been...what they did together and what they represent remains most important. That doesn't change."
—General Robert B. Neller
USMC Commandant, 2016
If you have only seen the famous photo that inspired this statue, you might get the impression that just six Marines got the whole job done. But there were several photographers at work that day—and many other photos made.
Here you can see a part of the actual Marine combat patrol that took the Stars and Stripes up Mount Suribachi, past snipers concealed in the sides of that volcano. Some of these faces are here in the war memorial statue.
What you can't see is the greatest armada of 500 ships and swarms of warplanes that made it possible to put three Marine divisions and an Army regiment ashore—more than 110,000 sailors, airmen, soldiers, and Marines.
Many of the faces in this combat patrol photo would die on Iwo in the bitter fighting in the weeks to come. The sacrifices made to win Iwo Jima were greater than any other battle in Marine Corps history.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music
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Location. 38° 53.421′ N, 77° 4.169′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Rosslyn. Memorial is on US Marine Memorial Circle north of North Marshall Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1495 North Meade Street, Arlington VA 22209, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Battle Honors Unending (a few steps from this marker); A Split Second Made Immortal (within shouting distance of this marker); The Marines' Fiercest Fighting of World War II (within shouting distance of this marker); And How Will You Remember Them? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Place Where Memories Are Made (about 300 feet away); Missions Critical (about 400 feet away); United States Marine Corps War Memorial (about 400 feet away); Something More Than A Statue (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Additional keywords. 70,000 Marines Helped Raise That Flag on Iwo Jima
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 2, 2019
2. 70,000 Marines Helped Raise That Flag on Iwo Jima Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 259 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on April 25, 2021, by Bruce Guthrie of Silver Spring, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
