The Iwo Jima Memorial is located just outside of Arlington National Cemetery, so we ventured over there from the cemetery grounds. The memorial serves as a monument to Marines who have died in all the battles and wars of the history of the United States.
The design of the monument is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal of six Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi. The battle was fought in February 1945, and 6321 United States Marines lost their lives there, including three of the men who are shown in the monument. The flag pole used in the monument is a lead pipe, just as the men used in the photograph.
The monument in silhouette
The monument illuminated by the setting sun
A close-up of the men