Commemorating 75th anniversary of the Iwo Jima flag-raising

Thank you for the coverage of the 75th anniversary of the flag raising at Iwo Jima and the 25th anniversary of the Iwo Jima Memorial. The Iwo Jima survivor members, present and past, should be proud of this beautiful structure that was built with the funds that they collected, the individual donations that they made and the work that they did to prepare the “sacred space” for the monument. I am grateful for their service and all their efforts to keep the public informed of the events of that day on the Japanese island. I experience a sense of pride for my country every time I pass the memorial.

One person’s name that was missing from the history of the development of the memorial and park is Dr. George Gentile of Newington who served as President of the Iwo Jima Memorial Association of Connecticut Inc. until he passed in 2003. The original idea for the monument and park was the “brain-child” of Dr. Gentile’s. When he presented the idea at the 1988 Iwo Jima Survivors reunion, it was readily accepted and the journey to make it happen was started. In his 1997 book “History of the Iwo Jima Survivors Association Inc. and the National Iwo Jima Memorial” which documents the detailed efforts to make the memorial a reality, he lists the many members, volunteers, and donors. He also lists the many people and businesses that donated their labor, materials and services so that they could work within their budget. While it was an extraordinary team effort, it was under the leadership of Dr. Gentile who oversaw all the details of this huge project, resolved issues that arose and kept the momentum moving forward to the monument’s unveiling and dedication on Feb. 23, 1995.

I am very familiar with the history of this beautiful monument and park because I was Dr. Gentile’s typist.

Thank you to Dr. Gentile and the Iwo Jima survivors for keeping this memory alive. Your sacrifice was not in vain.

Kathy Christianson, Newington