Evening star., 1945-11-11
Vandeerift Unveils
Statue 10 RAISING
OF Flag on Two Jima

zen. ALEXANDER A. VanQegrl1t,
Marine Corps commandant, yester-
day unveiled bronse statue of the
Two Jima flag-raising group in cere-
monies at the statue facing the Navy
Department entrance at Nineteenth
street and Constitution avenue NV.
Standing bare-headed in the chill
wind, the Marine officer jerked a
cord which stripped black shroud
from around the 36-foot-high heroic
group. Several thousand spectators
including John H. Bradley, phar-
macist's mate 2fc, who is one of
three survivors of the six men repre-
sented in Felix De Weldon's statue
-cheered and clapped their hands.
The United States Marine Band
played The Marines Hymn"
The unveiling took place on the
10th anniversary of the Marine
Corps, and was held in conjunction
with the Victory Loan drive. A
Marine battalion flanked the statue
during the ceremony, which was
broadcast over station WINK.
Strong America Urged.
"We know that this statue COM
memorates much more than the
capture of a dominant height on
Two Jima," Gen. Vandegrift said.
I'VE know that it's meaning encom-
paeses the whole effort Of the people
of our nation. Three of the six
men represented here died in the
bitter combat of the next several
days.
Thousands like them fell in de-
Tense of their country-and in the
trust that, after victory, their ma
tion would dedicate its might to the
maintenance of the peace and Sc
curity to which they dedicated their
lives.
May this heroic statue serve to
remind all who pass that we must
keep the faith with the brave and
the fallen. An America strong at
heart. in spirit and in arms is our
best assurance of preserving the
freedom for which they fought"
The statue is replica of Associ-
ated Press Photographer Joe Rosen-
thal's famed war picture of the
Marines raising the flag on Mount
Suribachi on February %, 1945.
The inscription reads:
Uncommon Valor Was Com
mon Virtue"
Others who spoke were: Mr.. Brad
ley; Wilmer j. Waller, chairman of
the District War Finance Commit
tee: Rear Admiral William N
Thomas, Chief of Navy Chaplains
and Maj. Gen. Graves B. Erskine
commander of the Sd Marine Di-
vision on Two Jima.
Forrestal Halls Harmony.
In another Marine Corps BIRTH
day address, Secretary of the Navy
Forrestal used the occasion to refer
obliquely to the current controversy
over merging the. armed forces. Mr..
Forrestal, speaking over WMAL and
the American Broadcasting Co. from
the Marine Barracks at Eighth and
I streets Sc last night, said the
comradeship of the armed forces
cannot be produced by edict and
must not be broken by controver-
sizes"
The Secretary hailed the COM
radeship among the service
branches as lone of the brightest
pages in the record of the war"
Indeed, the good feeling between
all branches of the armed forces
has been and will continue to be
one of the foundation stones of our
national security" Mr.. Forrestal
said.
Truman's Message Read.
The Secretary also read a letter
from President Truman which said
the anniversary gives our Nation
an opportunity to honor those heroic
young Americans who opened the
beachheads to final triumph in the
Pacific
ITO them," said the President
"our people join in saying, We'll
done!"
Mr.. Truman remarked that the
Japanese went to war with the con-
viction they were masters Of am.
phibious warfare, but at Guadal.
canal the Marines destroyed this
! idea.
'Valor of the men of Guadal-
canal turned the tide on that is
land" said the President, "and from
there on, the march to victory be-
gan"
Marshall Sends Praise. :.
| In . letter to Gen. Vandegrift
Gen George G. Marshall, Army
chief Of staff. said that throughout
| the war Marines displayed . spiri,