National Museum of the Marine Corps Event Commemorates 63rd Anniversary of Battle of Iwo Jima

Business Wire, Feb 11, 2008

Veteran Marines Give Personal Accounts of Battle

TRIANGLE, Va. -- The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation is hosting "An Evening Commemorating Uncommon Valor, the Battle of Iwo Jima" at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Saturday, February 23rd at 5 p.m. The date marks the 63rd anniversary of the 1945 raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi, made famous by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal's historic photograph. The night will include dinner and drinks in the Museum's Tun Tavern and Mess Hall, followed by a screening of the Academy Award winning documentary, "The Shores of Iwo Jima." A Q&A session conducted with veterans of the battle will conclude the evening.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps has in its collection both original flags raised on Mount Suribachi and rotates them on display in an exhibit commemorating the Battle of Iwo Jima. The exhibit includes a wall of remembrance, marking Marine Corps and Navy emblems for every Marine and sailor who died during the battle. The Museum's commemoration of the Battle comes days after the death of Raymond Jacobs, the man believed to be the last surviving member of the group of Marines depicted in the famous Joe Rosenthal photo. Jacobs died of natural causes in California on January 29, 2008.

Tickets for "An Evening Commemorating Uncommon Valor" are $35; advance reservations required. RSVP by February 20th to Dodson@marineheritage.org or (703) 649-2350.

WHAT:   <
"An Evening Commemorating Uncommon Valor, the Battle of Iwo Jima"
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WHEN:   <
Saturday, February 23rd, 5:00 p.m.
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WHERE:  <
National Museum of the Marine Corps
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18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy
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Triangle, VA 22172

Dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Marine Corps history, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation was established in 1979 as a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization. The Foundation supports the historical programs of the Marine Corps in ways not possible through government funds. The Foundation's most recent endeavor was to secure funds for the initial construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Semper Fidelis Memorial Park in Triangle, VA, near Marine Corps Base Quantico. Securing the necessary funding for the complete construction of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps and to further enhance the education program is the Foundation's current mission.

For more information regarding the event, please contact Chris Vassil at cvassil@susandavis.com or 202-414-0779.