My husband is a history buff and it was from him that I heard and learned about the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. He told me so many stories about the memorial and the history behind it.
So on our trip to Washington, D.C. in October last year, I made sure to put it on our list of places to see. And it was what we checked right after leaving Arlington National Cemetery.
It was an absolute sight to behold. I couldn’t believe how huge it is. It was such an incredible feeling to finally see it in person.
The hubs had been there once before with a friend. But he loves the place so much that he wanted to see it again, not to mention, he also wanted me to see it.
The U.S. Marine Corps War memorial is located close to Arlington National Cemetery – about a 5-minute drive. But with the traffic in Washington, D.C., not to mention we left at around 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon, I think it took us more than 5 minutes to get there.
But after getting there, we realized that late in the afternoon was actually the best time to visit the memorial because there were just a few people there. As you can see, the place was almost deserted. And the few people that were there when we arrived, were also starting to leave so we had the place all to ourselves.
It was a surprise to see my home country’s name, the Philippines engraved on such an iconic memorial along with all the major battle involving the U.S. Marine Corps since 1775.
Can you tell from our shadows how gigantic the statue is?
The entire memorial is about 78 feet tall. The figures are 32-foot high raising a 60-foot bronze flagpole. The base is made of granite and the statues were cast in bronze.
The model of the memorial was the iconic photo of the second flag-raising on the island of Iwo Jima during World War II which was captured by Joe Rosenthal. And the memorial was to honor the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775.
I saw the war memorial years ago, and the power of the place never left me.
That is such a powerful memorial. I can’t think of one that more perfectly captures the sacrifice, sense of duty, and sense of commitment to the greater good than this one.
It looks like a very powerful memorial. It pains me to know how many men lost their lives in pointless wars.