Iwo Jima Monument in Harlingen Texas

March 25, 2020

Located in Harlingen, Texas, on the campus of the Marine Military Academy is the Iwo Jima Monument. This full-sized plaster model was used to create the molds for the bronze statue in Arlington National Cemetery. This working model was donated to the Military Academy (across the street) as an inspiration to the cadets. The humid climate of south Texas is the perfect atmosphere to preserve this plaster statue. The figures are 32 feet high raising a 78 foot high flag pole. The cloth flag flies 24 hours a day.

We visited the museum located near the statue and watched a very interesting film about the taking of Iwo Jima. The airstrip on the island served as a landing base for many US planes on their way back from Japan bombing runs. It is estimated that the island base saved more lives of pilots and their crews than were lost in the initial battle for the island. The island was given back to Japan in 1965. Many men who fought there thought it should always remain in the possession of the USA because of the huge cost of lives lost there.

Iwo Jima Museum

The statue is impressive. Near the grounds is the burial place of one of the five men who raised the flag. He was only 19 years old when he died, just days after the raising of the flag. Inscribed around the outside of the stone foundation are all the wars the marine corp has fought from the founding of our nation until present. Afghanistan is one of them with no ending date. It would be wonderful to see the end date inscribed someday soon.

The following photos show more detail of the statue. The sky was a beautiful blue the first day we visited the statue, but the flag was tangled up on the flag pole. The second time we visited, it was overcast and gray. But the flag was flying beautifully and I wanted to capture that. Plus, I wanted to get more details of the statue.