One of the most important events in WWII is the battle of Iwo Jima. The memorial to this momentous occasion is a reminder of American perseverance and courage. To understand the significance of why this monument was put up five things must be looked at; who, what, when, where and most importantly, how and why.

Who? The Iwo Jima memorial is dedicated to the Marine Corps, not only those who fought in WWII but all marines who have served since 1775. The people depicted in the monument are six young men from the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions who faced a steep climb and the threat of enemy fire to climb Mount Suribachi and raise the American flag. But what exactly does this monument depict?

What? The Iwo Jima memorial is a statue depicting six men mid action, hoisting the American flag. The statue itself is 32 feet tall with a 60 foot flag pole. Since 1961 a cloth flag flies from the flag pole 24-Hours a day. The base of the memorial is made of Swedish granite and has these two inscriptions, "In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775." and a tribute to the fighting men on Iwo Jima, "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue."  The next thing to look at is ‘When’.

When? The battle of Iwo Jima happened on February 19th 1945. The battle took place for two days for the Marines to surround the base of Mount Suribachi. Several days later, February 22nd six men started the climb to the top of Mount Suribachi; their names were Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Michael Strank, John Bradley, Gene Gagnon and Harlon Block. Of these men only three survived the battle Sousley, Strank and Block all were killed in action in the ensuing battles to win control over the Island.

Where? This battle and monument may seem inconsequential unless you know where and under what circumstances  it took place. The battle obviously took place on the island of Iwo Jimawhis is located 660 miles south of Tokyo, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. “…still uncaptured was Iwo Jima, which became a primary objective in American plans to bring the Pacific campaign to a successful conclusion.” - http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/usmc.htm. The battle for Iwo Jima was one of the most important battles of WWII, costing over 6,800 american lives. That’s 6000 more marines dead than the battle of normandy the year earlier and the most deaths in a single battle since Gettysburg. The actual monument took over three years to build and was erected in Washington, DC.

Why? To bring this analysis to a close we now look at why this monument was made. The sculptor, Felix de Weldon, who as on tour with the US Navy was so captivated with the scene that he decided to make a life size model of it. The monument is commemorating the 6,800 dead at the battle and all the marines in the past 234 years that have fought for the United States of America.

How? Now that we know why the monument was built it is important to know how it was built. The monument was first made in plaster and later casted in bronze. It was casted in bronze in Brooklyn, NY and that process took three years. After that it was brought by truck to DC where it was then welded and bolted together before being put on its granite pedestal.

Now that we have looked at who, what, when, where and why, we now know the importance of the monument. To sum it up this monument was built to commemorate all Marines since 1775, it depicts the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima, it is made of bronze on a stone base and it now resides in Washington, DC. This monument, like many others also means a lot to the sons and daughters of those who fought in WWII.