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The Iwo Jima Memorial at Parris Island needs to be replaced, and the private sector should raise the money to do it.
The statue by the parade deck is one of the most significant fixtures in Beaufort County. And because Parris Island is one of only two boot camps for the Marine Corps, it's a memorial with national importance.
The memorial depicts a moment in American and Marine Corps history that still is seared in the nation's mind 64 years after five Marines and one Navy corpsman raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima during World War II.
As soon as Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal's
image of the men struggling to raise the flag was published, Austrian-born sculptor Felix de Wheldon created a three-dimensional version of it.
He made two of the statues out of a moldable plaster over a steel framework, and they were used nationally to raise money for war bonds. Later, de Wheldon produced a much larger bronze version of the sculpture as the centerpiece for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.
One of the smaller original molds was brought to Parris Island and dedicated on Sept. 5, 1952.
For almost 60 years, it has inspired all who train, serve or visit Parris Island. With the number of recruits passing through Parris Island now pushing beyond 1 million, the impact of the Iwo Jima Memorial here is widespread.
However, few realize that the statue here was not meant to be outdoors long term. The days of patching and plugging it to keep the interior framework dry and the exterior plaster in place are limited. It's a testimony to Marine ingenuity that it has survived this long.
The existing piece needs to be moved indoors, and a bronze casting needs to be made for its replacement on the Boulevard de France.
A rough cost estimate for the bronze casting is $1 million.
Someone needs to step up to lead a public capital campaign to replace the Iwo Jima Memorial on Parris Island.
This will require a transparent, audited, ethical fund-raising drive that can withstand public accountability.
We need to spark locally a national drive to upgrade this landmark on legendary Parris Island.
Why wouldn't every surviving Marine who trained there kick in a few dollars if asked?
Why not put a donation jar by the memorial during the weekly graduation ceremonies that attract thousands of friends and family members of the newest Marines? Family photographs in front of the memorial are almost as much a part of the pageantry and celebration as the patriotic music.
We certainly don't know the specifics of how this project can be accomplished, but we do know it's worth doing. Surely, many will follow strong leadership.
