By Chris Karr

SoCal Resident Leads Effort to Bring Iwo Jima Monument to Camp Pendleton

Laura Dietz is determined to gift a permanent reminder of America’s unique history to Southern California.

For the past few years, she has worked tirelessly to erect an Iwo Jima Flag Raising Memorial at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County.

The monument will consist of a sculpture that recreates the iconic photo of six members of the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.

But for Dietz, founder and trustee of Iwo Jima Monument West, the mission to commemorate that moment in time holds a higher significance.

“This monument is more than a monument,” she told The Epoch Times. “We know what it means to the Marine Corps, but it’s a symbol of our entire country, of what we can do when we are united.”

‘The True Meaning of Sacrifice’

Prior to establishing Iwo Jima Monument West in 2013, a charity dedicated to raising the funds to see the project to fruition, Dietz spent much of her time volunteering in support activities for the families of those who serve.

“I saw the realities of military service, and I saw the pressures that these constant deployments were putting on the families,” she said. “As a mother—and now a grandmother—I really can relate at that level. … I learned [about] the true meaning of sacrifice.”

She saw how the absence of Marine Corps members serving their country affected their families.

“Dad’s not home, and the mother has to be so emotionally strong—I mean, incredibly strong,” Dietz said. “Because you have to make your kids think that everything is really okay, Daddy’s fine, and Daddy’s coming home.

“[It’s] a test of resilience.”

She said the personal side of military life hit home and inspired her to devise a “manifestation of the great esteem with which I hold these military families and what they go through.”

A Special Tribute in California

Before she was a resident of Corona del Mar in Newport Beach, Dietz lived in Arlington, Virginia. During her time there, she passed by the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial on a daily basis.

The 32-foot-tall sculpture of Marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima lodged itself in her mind.

“It became a symbol of America winning,” she said, referring to the original photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal on Feb. 23, 1945. “That [photo] wasn’t ‘a thousand words.’ It was like a trillion words. It said, ‘We’re winning, and the war might soon be over.’ And war-weary Americans at home were electrified. … Newspapers printed extra copies of the photograph for sale due to high demand.”

The power of that image resonated with Dietz. So when the time came to concoct some way to immortalize the sacrifice and courage of American troops, she knew exactly what image to draw from.

First, she said she tracked down the ideal architect for the job: Curtis Fentress, whose firm designed and built the National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) in Triangle, Virginia.

“He was my first choice in the concept design competition, along with four other national firms with USMC connections,” Dietz said in an email. “His work to design and build the magnificent NMMC made Fentress the best qualified in the U.S.”

On Oct. 31, 2015, Fentress unveiled his design in front of 13 Iwo Jima veterans at “The Celebration of Courage” event at the Fashion Island Hotel in Newport Beach.

“[It’s an] opportunity to create something special and unique for you here in California,” he said at the time. “We got this idea that this was something very unique and very special for the Marines and it had to be encased in a way that [preserved] the sculpture of the Marines planting the flag.”

He described a design that includes a protective glass enclosure that keeps the monument safe from saltwater spray while also allowing the public to view it from a distance.

“I made the point that the monument was what was important, that the structure where it was housed was not to deter from the monument,” Dietz said. “[So] he created a highly minimalist design.

“The added benefit of the glass system is [that it makes] the monument visible from all angles, while giving it some protection from heat, cold, [and] moisture.”

Dietz pointed out that the memorial would be perfectly situated on a hillside west of Camp Pendleton’s Pacific Views Event Center, making the sculpture visible to the nearly 50 million vehicles that pass by on Interstate 5 annually.

“It will elicit that sense of American pride,” she said.

A Gift to Marines

Though the authorization for the project is currently tangled up in bureaucracy—“the gift laws are Navy laws and they made some changes three years ago [that] made them stricter,” she said—Dietz remains certain that the Iwo Jima flag will rise again—sooner rather than later.

“I’m confident that we’ll get a final approval from the Department of the Navy and be able to complete the fundraising and get it started by the end of the year,” she said. “That is my expectation, that is my desire, that is my hope.”

Thus far, they have raised $200,000 through their website. To trigger the final approval, Dietz said they have to prove they have 90 percent of the $11 million projected cost.

“The Marine Corps’ 250th birthday is coming up in 2025,” Dietz said. “So if you want to give the Marine Corps a gift for all they do and all the sacrifices they make, it seems to me that this is one way of doing it.”

She said that one of the most important factors that inspire her efforts is the precious time she was able to spend with veterans and families of those who served in the Iwo Jima battle.

“Their desire to see this monument up at Camp Pendleton where they trained in World War II is the most powerful motivation possible,” she said. “I pledged in 2015 to do everything I could to make this happen for them, their families, the Corps, and our entire nation. For them, it’s a last wish.”

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Event and parking free !!

A survivor of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the bloodiest in USMC history , Woody is the last Marine MOH recipient alive from WWII

Iwo Jima Monument West founder Laura Dietz secured Williams for the event . She was on the Nixon Presidential campaign staff from 1971-1973. She notes that Nixon sought to get into the action and the Navy assigned him to logistics duty in the Solomon Islands campaign . His post Presidential chief of staff was Col Jack Brennan USMC retired .

The Nixon Library contains a replica of the Oval Office and the East Room where Secretary of Defense gave the keynote in 2014 which can be found on the Library website .  At that time General Mattis was retired but still very active in our nation’s defense ..

And as a Fellow at the Hoover Institution ..

God bless America as we fight to restore the rule of law …

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SAN DIEGO – The original iconic flag raising statue at Iwo Jima is gathering dust at a Connecticut storage facility.

Iwo Jima Monument West is a nonprofit trying to bring it to Camp Pendleton.

Retired Corporal Jim Scotella hopes he will be around to see that happen. At age 90, he has outlived his family, so he clings to his memories.

“When I see it I feel kind of proud of it.”

It symbolized the strength of the U.S. When faced with one of the bloodiest battles in history.

Scotella was fresh out of high school.

“There was so much shelling going on, and you never knew where a mortar was going to land or when you might be under fire,” he explained.

They were surrouded by sniper fire. The Japanese emerged from underground tunnels to take men out.

“If I’d have just been wounded I’d be happy,” Scotella added.

Death seemed inevitable. The 36-day battle devoured the lives of 6,800 U.S. servicemen.

“I saw a fellow outside of a cave.” Scotella said. “He was on his back, naked. You could see where they tortured him in bad areas.”

The cost was agonizing, but the victory was America’s. Scotella was there when fellow Camp Pendleton Marines raised the United States flag.

“A lot of the fellows that were around there,” he explained. “They were all hooping and hollering.”

The original statue was up for auction in 2013, but never sold. Scotella said it belongs at Camp Pendleton.

“You would feel very proud that you’re a Marine,” he said.

He hopes the nonprofit can raise the $10 million it needs to get the statue and build the memorial site in time to honor his unit.

“I would guess maybe in five years or so there won’t be any left; none of us,” Scotella said.

He wants people to know that behind that bloody battle was a lot of heart and a lot of heartache.

“The public has no idea,” he said. “They just have no idea, and they should appreciate what the Marine Corps did.”

The nonprofit is hoping to raise $10 million to complete the project and build the memorial site at Camp Pendleton.

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source:  San Diego Union-Tribune

The effort, called Operation Home of the Brave, is spearheaded by Newport Beach-based nonprofit Iwo Jima Monument West.

The nonprofit is raising money to buy a restored Felix de Weldon sculpture of the Iwo Jima Flag raising, truck it to Camp Pendleton and install it on a hillside by the Pacific Views Events Center overlooking the ocean near the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton and Interstate-5. The estimated cost of the project, including building the memorial site is $10 million.

The five-ton, 20-foot tall monument made out of plaster with a bronze patina finish, captures the placing of the American flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The 36-day battle from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945, took the lives of nearly 6,000 Marines and 1,000 members of the Navy and injured an additional 19,200 service members.

“The monument symbolizes all the bloodshed on the island done for the freedom of our country,” said Oceanside veteran Marine Sgt. Maj. “Iron Mike” Mervosh, 92, who fought at Iwo Jima, Korea and Vietnam and serves as national honorary chairman of Iwo Jima Monument West.

The monument is a smaller version of de Weldon’s iconic 32-foot tall bronze flag-raising Marine Corps War Memorial statue in Arlington, Va., based on the famous Pulitzer Prize-winning flag-raising photo by Joe Rosenthal.

The Marines and Navy corpsman in Rosenthal’s photograph, were from the 5th Marine Division which was activated at Camp Pendleton in 1944, making it especially fitting to have the statue on base.

“It’s meaningful to have the statue on base because this is where we trained to go to Iwo Jima,” said Herman “Doc” Rabeck, 92, a Carlsbad veteran who tended to the wounded as a Naval Corpsman at Iwo Jima.

Both veterans consider the memorial to be a symbol for future generations, but they are hoping to see it as well.

“We are building a memorial site that will reflect the monument’s importance to the Marine Corps and the nation as one of America’s greatest and most profound symbols of courage,” said Laura Dietz, founder of Iwo Jima Monument West.

Dietz got to know Camp Pendleton Marines while volunteering with fellow community members from Newport Beach as part of their adoption of the 1st Battallion, 1st Marines. She went on to support programs for recovering Marines and families at the base’s Wounded Warrior Battalion.

Dietz, a history buff, got the idea for the monument after hearing that it had not sold at an auction in New York and was sitting in storage in Connecticut. The statue stood on the USS Intrepid Museum in the New York City Harbor from 1995 to 2007, on loan from its owner.

Dietz knew Camp Pendleton did not have its own flagraising monument, and felt the monument’s home, historically and emotionally, should be on base.

“I wanted this to be our thank you to the Marines,” Dietz said.

The design of the proposed memorial site will be unveiled at a fundraiser, “A Celebration of Courage” Oct. 31 in honor of the Marine Corps 240th anniversary and the 70th anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima.

Rabeck and three Iwo Jima Marines will be among the speakers. Mervosh will sign copies of his biography “Hardcore Iron Mike” by Gregg Stoner.

Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Terry Robling will give the keynote address and Retired Marine Col. Michael Naylor will give a short history of the project and need for public support. The event is 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with luncheon at The Island Hotel, 690 Newport Center Drive.

Tickets: $150.

Auction items include a flag flown over Mt. Suribachi at the 70th Anniverary Reunion of Honor in March and the famous photograph by Rosenthal along with an hour glass filled with “black sands of Iwo Jima.”

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• February 2015: National press campaign around 70^th Anniversary of landing on Iwo Jima, 1945: The compelling story of the photograph, how it impacted   the Nation and America’s love for the Marines Corps that helped save the Corps Post WWII.
• February 23, 2015: Event to pay tribute to Iwo Jima veterans on the 70^th Anniversary of the flag raising on Iwo Jima (Newport Beach, CA), sponsored by Iwo Jima Monument West.
• March 4-7, 2015:  Iwo Jima Committee, San Diego holds 3 days of events with Iwo Jima veterans including a dinner Sat. March 7^th at Camp Pendleton, with  reenactment of the flag raising by Marines.
• March 16-22, 2015:  Military Tours trip to Guam and a day on Iwo Jima for formal ceremonies as guests of Japanese government: memorial services and trip to the top of Mt. Suribachi on March 20^th.
• May 8-11, 2015: “Letter of Interest” to designers/architects disseminated.
• May 22, 2015: Videotaped interviews with Iwo Jima veterans and flag raising reenactment on Camp Pendleton; Channel 8 and Camp Pendleton Base Public Affairs covered this event.
• June 8, 2015: ClarkNexsen (VA Beach) and Fentress Architects (Denver) qualified.
• June 15, 2015: Request for Proposals.
• July 14, 2015: Briefing of Architects, Camp Pendleton with DPW staff, Iwo veterans.
• July 30, 2015: Deadline for design submissions changed to September 4.
• July 31, 2015: Final document request fulfilled for architects.
• August 13-16: Marine Corp League National Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ.
• August 2015: Submission of article to Black Sands, newsletter, IJSAA.
• September  4, 2015: Design/Build Proposals submitted by ClarkNexsen and Fentress Architects.
• October 14, 2015: Selection of winner of the design/build competition
• October 31, 2015: Unveiling of Winning Memorial Design, at a major fundraising luncheon in Newport Beach, presented by the architect, with remarks by esteemed Marines, and some Iwo Jima battle veterans. One of a kind Iwo Jima auction items.
• November 10, 2015: Marine Corps Birthday Day Event
• December 31, 2015:  Fundraising goal deadline: $4 million

The post Iwo Jima Monument West Calendar appeared first on Iwo Jima Memorial.

How it all began… February 22, 2013 Iwo Jima flag raising sculpture by Felix de Weldon did not sell at (not hitting the reserve).

• April 2013: Review of DOD “gifting” rules
• September 2013: Met with Deputy Adjutant (MCI-West) on “gifting” and related issues
• Sept-Nov. 2013: Research: Marine Corps History Division, National Archives & Records Administration (VA, DC & MD locations)
• November 15, 2013: Filing with IRS for 501c3 for Iwo Jima Monument West (news release)
• February 2014: Meeting with MCI-West leadership to reach agreement on preferred site. Department of Public Works ordered to provide requisites for the RFP.
• May 2014: IRS determination letter for full tax deductibility received
• August 2014: Architectural firm (San Diego) retained to develop RFP
• October 2014:  Interdependence PR, NY retained to liaison with national media
• January 2015:  Request for Proposals for a Design Competition available for release
• February 2015: New website launched at www.marinesoniwojima.com including story wall with battle footage and new information
• March, 2015: Military History Tours trip to Iwo Jima (Guam) for 70^th Anniversary ceremonies (“Reunion of Honor”) headed by Lt. General Larry Snowden; speakers included CMC JosephDunford, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, and the grandson of General Kurabiyashi as well as the Defense Minister of Japan with numerous Cabinet members:
• April, 2015: Focus on developing interest from architects to enter competition for project design/build;
• May, 2015: Flag Raising Re-enactors and 10 Iwo Jima veterans attend event with media on base near the site selected (hillside in front of the Pacific Views Event Center) towards Pacific ocean overlooking appropriately Vandegrift Blvd., Del Mar Beach, near the small Iwo Jima Memorial (1999);
• June 2015:  Selecting two highly qualified firms: Fentress Architects (CO) and ClarkNexsen (VA);
• July 2015:   Briefing held at Camp Pendleton for qualifying firms, with base DPW staff;
• September 2015: Submission deadline for design/build proposals for review and decision making; published articles in IJAA Black Sands and Spearhead 5^th MAR DIV Association; guest speaker at the annual meeting of the 5^th Marine Division Association, Virginia Beach;
• October, 2015 : Announcement that Fentress Architects, designer/builders for the National Marine Corps Museum (Triangle, VA) had submitted the superior design; special event with 10 Iwo Jima veterans (Marine/Navy), named “A Celebration of Courage (ad Oct. Leatherneck): Keynote: Lt. General Terry Robling (USMC retired) CO  speaks in support of project followed by the first public showing of the winning design by Curt Fentress, principal, Fentress Architects (media invited); major article in San Diego Union Tribune, and American Legion publication;
• November, 2015: Ad in November of Leatherneck; Facebook page enhancement; PR firm had Iwo veterans on radio/TV, in addition to several print media pieces (San Diego Union, etc.); Progress Report issued for distribution to Iwo Jima veterans, et al;
• December, 2015: Front page (Newport Beach) Daily Pilot (LA Times) and Orange County Register profile on Founder, Laura Dietz and the financial needs of the projects; full tax deductibility letters to donors; support from Marine Corps Sgt. Major Gene Overstreet on travel from CT to CA issues; meeting in San Francisco with Anne Rosenthal, daughter of Joseph Rosenthal, for support and expertise (art conservation professional)
• Feb 2016: Iwo Jima Association of America Symposium, Arlington, VA
• April – June 2016: Determination made to not purchase the restored plaster model owned by Rodney Hilton Brown to reduce costs the decision was made to build a version
• April. 2016: Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Annual Dinner, headline by Senator John Warner (retired) and General Robert Neller, Commandant, USMC, and distinguished Marines
• August, 2016: Letter of interest to foundries in the Southwest to build
• September, 2016: Meetings in Fall River, MA to determine the status of a monument mold in storage that proved to be usable; shared design package with General Jos. Dunford, Chair,  Jt. Chiefs of Staff
• September – October: Scope of Work provided to pre-approved foundries (CA, AZ)
• October 14: Iwo Jima Veterans Carl Diekman, Jr. and Family host event at VFW, Canyon Country CA
• November, 2016: Selection made of Bollinger Atelier in Tempe AZ; runners up were ATA Foundry (Burbank CA) and JP Foundry (Commerce CA)

NOVEMBER 22, 2016: Iwo Jima Monument West Submits Final “Gift” Proposal

to the USMC and USN Undersecretary for final green light

• December, 2016: IJMW promotes major story in February 2017 by FOX News (NYC); Associated Press CEO Gary Pruitt/ staff  briefed on the project based on their famous photograph
• December, 2016: Retaining Cmdr. Ken Hagihara USNR, affiliated with Third Fleet, Coronado and his private firm Integrity PR to manage major PR push toward February Iwo Jima Association of America Symposium with many Iwo Jima veterans; David Webb of FOX to others:  To attend call Gail Chatfield at 858-205-2600 February 15-19, 2017, Grand Pacific Palisades Hotel, Carlsbad with Memorial service/banquet Feb. 18 (1600 – 2200)

The post Iwo Jima Monument West Progress appeared first on Iwo Jima Memorial.

Marine Sgt. Major Michael “Iron Mike” Mervosh who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam spoke with passion about his time as a Marine and his support for building the Iwo Jima Memorial at Camp Pendleton. — John Gastaldo   ~ Image Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

It was a great moment in US History that needs to [be] remembered by all generations of Americans.

-H.P. 1^st Sgt
21^st, 3^rd Division

It would mean everything as I was wounded and decorated there.

-C.C.
Co. A 1^st BN. 26^th Mar. 5^th Mar. Div.

As an Iwo Jima survivor/veteran I would, with great pride, like to see displayed, the monument depicting the flag raising on Iwo Jima. I think it is important for the people and visitors in the area to see what has become the symbol to the Marine Corps- and what better place than Camp Pendleton.

-S.H.G.
4^th Div.

To honor everyone who was there Feb. 19-Mar. 26 -all names of those who died there should also be inscribed there-in.

-H.B., PFC
Co. G 3^rd Batt. 28^Th Reg. 5^Th Div.

Because of these brave and courageous men of the USMC & Navy men who went through hell and back deserve this and much more. I was an assault boat coxswains for approx. 18 months at times living in our boat; 28 months WWII aboard the Belle Grove LSD2 lead boat 3^rd wave green beach when all hell broke loose. I landed on a few beaches Saipan and Iwo were the worst. All are very dangerous and was very proud to serve with the Marines and Army. Camp Pendleton should have been the ideal locations to all who gave their lives and thank God that we made it back. Semper Fi Mike and all Iwo conquerors.

-J.M.M.

This is where we trained.

 -W.B.S., PFC
D Co. 2^nd Batt. 27^Th Reg. 5^Th Div.

It would be wonderful to have the monument on the West Coast. I’m not able to travel and I’ve always wanted to see this special tribute to the Marines and Iwo Jima. It’s not only for us to plan and get it to the West Coast, but it’s for future generations. My great-grandchildren will be able to see this and know the history, and know that I was there. Thank you. I’m so proud to be a part of this mission.

-C.D., Sgt.
S&S Co. 26^th Reg. 5^th Div.

It would be a fitting memorial for all Iwo Marines and the Marines of today.

 -B.B., MSgt.
H&S Co. 28^th Marines

Because it truly belongs on the west coast of the USA at Camp Pendleton. This is where the 5^th Div. was formed on Jan. 1^st 1944.

-J.S., Cpl
28^th Marines 5^Th Div.

I do not want the Battle of Iwo Jima to be forgotten. I have thought of that terrible place every day for 70 years. Only those who visit Arlington will see the original statue. Already, the Japanese have changed the name of the island to “Iwo To” and the new name is on the control tower at the Iwo Airport. The statue means more to me than most others because I was there at one pm on Feb. 23, 1945 and saw the simultaneous lowering of the smaller first flag and the raising the of the second larger flag. The 6 men all are wearing their jackets because it was cold! I am angry at Pres. Carter for giving the island back to Japan.

-R.B. Petty Officer 3^rd Class

As one of a special group in the Air Force chosen to land with the Marine third division as soon as the #1 air strip was taken for service the P-51’s for missions over Iwo where the enemy was still entrenched and surrounding islands. I personally owe my life to the Marines and I saw, first hand, their courage, strength and sacrifices. The monument would be an inspiration to all and a heartwarming tribute on the very best west coast site. My wife and myself would be one of the 1^st to offer our help. Thank you Laura Dietz for your very kind and thoughtful efforts. Best of luck.

-C.B.

To see the monument which would honor the 6,800 Marines and Navy personnel who died in the Battle of Iwo Jima. For a Navy corpsman like me, it would remind me of George Wahlen, a fellow corpsman who received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Truman in 1945 for heroism above and beyond the call.

-E.M., Corpsman 1^st Class
F 2^nd 26 5^th Marine Division

I remember all the training for operations- like Roi- Namor- Saipan- Tinian and the bloodiest of all:- Iwo Jima:- I ran out of equipment by noon of the invasion day- had to ferret medical equipment from bodies of corpsmen. On airfield #2 I was caught on film dragging [a] Marine with head wounds over the airfield to safety at a ditch at the end of field. 2 days later I was hit by blast concussion from a 700 lb. Missile, we called “Flying Asacans.” I have titanium spine and a titanium ring on my heart valve. Training on Camp Pendleton helped get us back alive.

-H.R. “Doc” Corpsman
3^rd Btn. HQ- 23^rd Marines

Great- I was on Iwo Jima and saw both flags. This monument should be here.

-W.W.
4^th Mar.

Think as conquerors of the “Battle of all battles” with shear guts and determination against steel and concrete we manage to kick their asses. Been there done that and willing to do it again! Semper Fidelis.

-I.M.M.
Co. 1 24^th, 4^th Marine Div.

It would be just fantastic and when I return to Calif., it would be just breathe taking for a person from Alabama. Semper Fi.

-A.J.S

It means honoring some of the most gallant men who ever lived. No matter what branch of service they were in- it was a deadly fight won against almost impossible odds. The Marines carried the burden of the battle, but Navy and Air Force was part of the struggle. It would be an honor & recognition to all.

-R.E.M
USS Zebra AKN-5

I think the flag raising monument would be an appropriate tribute to all the bodies that were sacrificed 3 days earlier on the surf and black sands at the foot of Mt. Suribachi. [I] suggest we honor Chuck Lindburg and his boys who took the first flag up before the mountain was safe.

-W.E.H., Commander USAF
VR-17 from USS Hornet

The Battle of Iwo Jima and its monument are symbolic of the American spirit. Words cannot do justice to the feelings that this monument brings to our memories! Cherish them!

-P.R.M, LtCol USMC
G Co., 2^nd BN., 9^th Marines, 3^rd Mar. Div.

As Iwo survivors I drove to DC to see the monument. And to see flag raising monument would be a dream come true and to share.

-H.A.

A sense of pride that I helped contribute [something] for the next generation as our greatest generation is passing away.

-C.A, PFC.
3^rd Amph. BN

I think it would be a constant reminder of the WWII campaign and a symbol as easily recognizable as the original in Washington. That symbol epitomizes the tremendous sacrifices made by those who participated in the invasion. Symbols are a continual and present reminder for all who pass by to a fact of our history that should not be forgotten.

-F.Z., Cpl.
27^th Regiment, H&S Co., 1^st Battalion

His company raised the flag and he wants people to see it and remember it.

-Mrs. W.S.W for W.S.W., Cpl.
3^rd Pltn. Easy Co, 2^nd BN, 28^th Marines

…Camp Pendelton is a logical place for Iwo Jima Monument West to be located since it was so very much historically tied into the War in the Pacific… The Iwo Jima battle has taken on such a unique memory vehicle for Americans and a signature piece for all current and former service members and their families. I will be very pleased to have it local.

-R.O.P., PhM2c (corpsman)
5^th Amphibious Corps’ Evacuation Hospital #1

Let’s hope that this monument is ready to go soon. I want you [Iron Mike] to be standing next to me when I see it for the first time.

-M.H.H.

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In The News

The Epoch Times: SoCal Resident Leads Effort to Bring Iwo Jima Monument to Camp Pendleton

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/socal-resident-leads-effort-to-bring-iwo-jima-monument-to-camp-pendleton_3898852.html

(July 18, 2021 Updated: August 10, 2021)

San Diego Union Tribune: Group to bring Iwo Jima statue to Pendleton

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/oct/20/move-iwojima-monument-pendleton-fundraiser/
(Oct. 20, 2015)

Legion Town USA: West Coast May Become Home to One of the Original Iwo Jima Monuments

http://www.legiontown.org/memorials/2110/west-coast-may-become-home-one-original-iwo-jima-monuments
(August 19, 2015)

Black Sands: (in publication). Newsletter of the Iwo Jima Survivors Association of America. (Fall 2015)

Daily Pilot (Newport Beach): Iwo Jima Anniversary Frames Monument Effort

http://www.dailypilot.com/news/tn-dpt-me-0225-iwo-jima-tribute-20150224,0,81579.story
(February 25, 2015)

San Diego Union Tribune: Iwo Jima Vets Mark 70^th Anniversary

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/feb/24/iwo-jima-flag-raising-70th-anniversary/
(February 24, 2015)

Stars & Stripes: Move Smaller Iwo Jima Sculpture to California

http://www.stripes.com/opinion/camp-pendleton-deserves-its-own-iwo-jima-sculpture-help-make-that-happen-1.319461
(December 15, 2014)

San Diego Union Tribune: Iwo Jima Monument Planned for Pendleton

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/23/monumental-move/
(November 23, 2013)

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