Heritage center
10/9/06
5:03 PM
Page 180
Photo courtesy of Fentress Bradburn Architects
THE MUSEUM
Above: Present-day Marines stand amidst the history of their Corps on the second deck of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Behind them is an F4U Corsair, an aircraft famous for its exploits in the Pacific and Korea. Opposite: The Eagle, Globe and Anchor is etched into the glass of the entranceway to the museum.
CONVEYING SEMPER
FIDELIS TO AMERICA The Marine Corps Heritage Center by Tom Linn
History in Need of a Home
Within the Marine Corps there is a rich lore. Every Marine knows of double Medal of Honor winner Dan Daly, who before charging German defenses in World War I, called to his Marines, “Come on you sons-ofbitches! Do you want to live forever?” There is reverence for the uncommon valor on Iwo Jima, where 27 Medals of Honor were earned. And the courage and leadership of wounded Capt. Bill Barber, who commanded the defenses of Korea’s Toktong Pass from a stretcher, made him an example for all Marines. Such heroic service not only earned the Marine Corps a place in American history, it affected every Marine. As Pulitzer-prize winner Hanson W. Baldin wrote “… they live tradition; the United States Marine bears upon his shoulders the nation’s past and the nation’s hope for the future.”
180
Photo by Larry S. Glenn
I
n The U.S. Marine Corps Story, J. Robert Moskin wrote that the Marine Corps had “won an unerasable place in America’s history and heritage.” But Moskin also stated that Marines were seen as “a mysterious fraternity born of smoke and the danger of death.” Such mystery largely results from their valiant and loyal service going untold on a broad scale. Much of the mystery is now revealed by the Marine Corps Heritage Center. For the first time, it provides the American people with insights into what makes Marines different, their monumental contributions to the nation, their ethos and esprit de corps. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to see the history of this great nation through the eyes of Marines. And just as it tells the story of the Marine Corps, the making of the Heritage Center is a story in itself, driven by a desire to share what it means to be a Marine.