A Perfect Match: A monument in need of a base and a base in need of a monument

Americana

I lay awake last night wrestling with regrets. Yesterday, February 23, 2015, I met at a luncheon with a small band of octogenarians, at the Marriott Hotel in Newport Beach, California, to share their memories of Iwo Jima and the battle they fought there seventy years ago. Surrounded by their family and friends and Marines of every generation and every war including Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, as well as the Cold War, they shared their stories. The event was hosted by Operation Home of the Brave and Iwo Jima Monument West which, led by Ms Laura Dietz, is raising funds to bring a monument memorializing their victory on that distant Pacific isle to Camp Pendleton where these brave men learned the art of war. Sadly, as the event ended, my courage failed me and I wondered all night if I could have waded ashore with them and earned a place on their memorial.

The monument was cast in stone by sculptor Felix de Weldon who was serving in the Navy at the time the Marines raised their beloved flag above Mount Suribachi on the Island of Iwo Jima. He was inspired by the iconic photo snapped by Associated Press photographer Joseph Rosenthal. While this photo, reproduced in every newspaper and on countless posters inspired Americans to rally to buy bonds in record numbers, Weldon was inspired to fashion ten statues commemorating the event. A 10,000 pound version of it which had stood for years at Arlington National Cemetery, has become available.

Weathered by decades of exposure to the elements, it was sold at auction to Rodney Hilton Brown of New York, who had it restored and placed safely in storage while he looks for a good home so that, as he says, “we can pass the flag onto somebody else”. Who better than the Marines at Camp Pendleton.

Ms Dietz and her organization hosted the event at the Marriott to kick off their efforts to raise an estimated $3 million to purchase the monument, transport it across the country, and build a permanent home for it at Camp Pendleton. Following the opening benediction and Pledge of Allegiance, a succession of speakers praised the Iwo Jima veterans and inspired the audience to help the cause.

Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), a Marine and the son of a Marine veteran, praised the Iwo Jima veterans for not only their victory, but also their contribution to winning a lasting peace that built one of the world's most successful and enduring alliances spanning the Pacific Basin and almost seven decades.

Although many veterans of horrible battles lose their voices when they return, one Iwo Jima veteran seems to have found his. He regaled the audience with vivid images of the fighting he witnessed while tending to the wounded on board. Although just 19 years old at the time with no medical training, he successfully operated on a seriously wounded young Marine. After reconnecting at a reunion, he recounted that this Marine referred to him as “doctor”. The Iwo Jima veteran never corrected him. He didn't want the man to know that a 19-year old kid operated on him.

The wounds of war run deep, just how deep was evident when some Iwo Jima veterans had to leave the room while war stories were told. Thankfully, the speakers, though interesting, didn't have the skill with words scare others in the audience. However, for the Iwo Jima veterans, their words were keys unlocking memories hidden away these seven decades. They conjured ghosts that deserve to rest in peace.

Following the closing benediction, again delivered by a Marine chaplain, the audience was ready to disperse. Two and a half hours of speeches and stories is a chore to endure especially for those whose aged joints must be reminded regularly of their proper function. However, there was one ancient Marine who must have felt that something was forgotten. He began singing the Marine Hymn.

The Marine's voice was frail. It no longer bellowed parade ground orders or battleground cries. Few heard him. I did. As I looked, his family hushed him, but he persisted for another verse. It occurred to me that one strong voice joining him would most likely prompt the entire audience to join in. I was tempted. However, I feared that my voice would not evoke the desired response. I've been told that I sing like a wounded turkey caught in a barbed wire fence. So, I allowed the moment to pass. The Marine was silenced and we exited the banquet room.

Therein lies my insomnia. Like all others, I am neither a hero nor a coward. When put to the test, I sometimes rise and sometimes fall. In that moment I fell. I allowed my fear to dictate my action. It may seem to be a small matter now, to you. But, in that room full of heroes, I succumbed to fear.

Thank God they didn't succumb to their fear when the landing crafts beached and the ramps splashed in the surf. Thank God their will prevailed as they rushed onto the beaches on the day following my second birthday. Thank God they fought and lived and died so that I could reach my seventy-second birthday on this day and shake their hands, each and every one I could reach. I thanked them for you as well as me.

Now let's get them their memorial. Visit the Operation Home of the Brave and Iwo Jima Monument West website http://www.marinesoniwojima.com/index.html and donate now.