Conveying Semper Fidelis to America

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.

Photo courtesy of Fentress Bradburn Architects

CONVEYING SEMPER FIDELIS TO AMERICA The Marine Corps Heritage Center

by Tom Linn

In 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.

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.”

What remains of such legendary figures are the physical items they carried, used, and captured – some 30,000 relics and artifacts. Together with recorded accounts, these artifacts tell the story of the Marine Corps’ march into history.

The need to preserve these treasures and tell the Marine Corps’ story was recognized within the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation in the mid-1990s. Established under former Commandant Gen. Wallace Greene in 1979, the foundation was a small, private, nonprofit organization that assisted the Marine Corps’ historical program. Two foundation members, Colonels Jerry Turley and the late Jerry Thomas, raised concern that these artifacts were in danger of deteriorating in substandard facilities. And while the Marine Corps’ few, small museums could display some artifacts, they could not adequately convey the Corps’ story.

From Col. Jerry Thomas came the vision. He saw a place that would be more than the standard collection of weapons and equipment. Rather, it would be a center where Marines could celebrate their service and honor fallen comrades, but also where the American people could learn about the Marine Corps’ unique culture and contributions. It was a vision driven by a desire to share what it means to be a Marine.

The vision was further developed by educators, museum professionals, and Marines, brought together by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. In 1997, the concept was proposed to then-Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Charles C. Krulak, and enthusiastically received. In a letter of support, he stated that the center should be “a multiple-use complex of buildings and outdoor facilities … devoted to the presentation of Marine Corps history, professional military educational opportunities, and unique military events … the showcase of our Marine heritage.”

The Marine Corps Heritage Center took life. An executive steering committee was established, chaired by the assistant commandant. In 1999, Reserve Col. Joe Long was called to active duty to serve as the Marine Corps’ project manager. He himself had been a part of the Corps’ history, with service in Vietnam, the first Gulf War, and Somalia. For the next seven years, Long helped guide and coordinate the center’s development. Referring to Long’s contribution, one Marine later said, “We could not have done it without him.”

Subsequent commandants also saw the center as a way to share what it means to be a Marine. Upon becoming commandant in 2000, Gen. James L. Jones, Jr. embraced the center, saying that “The American people can come view the history of our nation through the eyes of Marines … a place where the Corps’ organizations and associations can meet ... the glorious history of the Marine Corps can be researched and recorded.”

Later, Commandant Gen. Michael W. Hagee said what all Marines feel: “Creation of the new Marine Corps Heritage Center, with the inspiring National Museum of the Marine Corps as its centerpiece, turns the dreams of thousands of Marine veterans and patriotic Americans into reality. This magnificent place represents our heritage and timeless esprit de corps, and finally allows us to tell our story as we would have it told."

Building Partnerships to Build Capital

Raising the money for the center meant thinking anew. In the late 1980s, Congress authorized the military services to allocate a portion of their budgets for construction of service museums. But a notoriously lean Marine Corps was hard-pressed to find the funds within its meager budget. As retired Col. Ray Hord, vice president of Development and Marketing for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, put it, “The Marine Corps wanted to take advantage of that, but receives, on average, the smallest percentage of the defense budget each year. Therefore, we had to be innovative.”

An innovative approach was thus presented to Congress. In 2000, it authorized a public and private partnership between the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, allowing it to conduct a capital campaign for the $80 million dollar Heritage

Bricks lining the winding pathways to the rally points in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park have been purchased by donors who want to commemorate their service or the service of friends or family members in the Marine Corps. Semper Fidelis Memorial Park overlooks the museum.

Center, with the first phase of development being the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Within this partnership a division of responsibility occurred. On the public side, the Marine Corps assumed the cost of the museum's design, internal fitting, artifact restoration, exhibit placement, and its operations and maintenance when completed. On the private side, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation assumed responsibility of raising funds for vertical construction.

“The support we’ve received has been unbelievable,” said retired Lt. Gen. Ron Christmas, president of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. The foundation reached out. Strong support came from successful former Marines, such as FedEx corporate head Fred Smith, and other prominent business leaders who now comprise the Founders Group, a volunteer committee guiding development. Also, the foundation’s direct-mail

campaign initially garnered 2,000 supporters, growing to 65,000 sponsors in 2006. Corporations also contributed generously.

Support came locally as well as nationally. Previously, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., had given land to Prince William County when Interstate 95 was being built. In 2000, the county ceded 135 acres back to the Marine Corps, providing a location for the center. It was ideal. According to a feasibility study, the center in this location could be expected to receive 500,000 visitors annually. As the chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors put it, such a facility in this location would be “a catalyst for the revitalization of the area.” The Marine Corps Heritage Center had a home.

The sign at Taylor Overlook at the entrance to Semper Fidelis Memorial Park says it all.

Photos by Larry S. Glenn

From Yellow Footprints to Mount Suribachi: The Greening of the Design Team

In the early morning hours at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, 55-year old Christopher Chadbourne, head of internationally renowned exhibit design firm Christopher Chadbourne & Associates, stood on yellow footprints, receiving the customary greeting from Marine drill instructors. He didn’t go far enough on the row of footprints, resulting in extra attention from a drill instructor. It was just one of many experiences that center designers willingly underwent to learn about the Marine Corps.

Several months prior, in November 2000, a national competition had been launched to select a Heritage Center architect. In the competition’s first stage, 30 architectural firms submitted qualifications for review by a jury comprised of Marine Corps Heritage Foundation members, the director of the Marine Corps History and Museums Division, and naval facilities staff. Four firms were selected and each given $50,000 to develop a preliminary design.

A statue of Marine Corps Maj. Gen. John Lejeune, 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, stands in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park. Lejeune, who served over 40 years in the Corps, is often referred to as “the greatest of all Leathernecks.”

Photos by Larry S. Glenn

In June 2001, a design team from Colorado-based Fentress Bradburn Architects headed to Washington with a model of the proposed center about the size of a ping-pong table. It was comprised of ordinary materials – cardboard, plastic, and wood – but its form and detail were inspirational. Rising from the model’s terrain was a proposed National Museum of the Marine Corps, with a conical glass atrium projecting into the air. Inside, aircraft hung from the ceiling, with combat vehicles on the main floor. Iconic Marine quotes like “Retreat, hell! We just got here,” appeared around the top of a circular wall, below the glass atrium. Pictures of the Corps’ giants were spaced along the wall.

Atop the glass atrium was an angled spire. Commenting on the image conveyed, noted Marine historian Col. Joe Alexander said, “I saw immediately the relationship between the angle of the large spike … as being similar to the angle of the flag at Iwo Jima being raised on Mount Suribachi.” Lt. Gen. Ron Christmas would similarly comment, “Fentress Bradburn has captured this evocative imagery in a design concept.” In July 2001, Commandant of the Marine Corps James L. Jones, Jr. announced that Fentress Bradburn Architects would design the Heritage Center.

In that same year, a competition was under way for a museum exhibit designer, with Christopher Chadbourne & Associates eventually being selected. Both the architectural and the exhibit-design firms would work closely in creating the center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Both would also work closely with the Marine Corps to understand its ethos and heritage.

The design team had no prior Marine experience; thus the Marine Corps sought to “make these guys green.” This understanding of the Marine Corps also was seen as critical by the designers. “The architectural challenge …,” said Curt Fentress, head of Fentress Bradburn Architects, “was first comprehending and then translating into physical form what it means to be a Marine. Asking ourselves that question was part of a daily ritual which started in the competition and continued throughout design.”

Designers saw first hand the monumental challenges of being a Marine. Their journey began on a bus loaded with new recruits bound for Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and the unforgettable reception by drill instructors. The designers witnessed recruit training, from swim qualification to the grueling “Crucible” test and graduation. They then observed duty in the Fleet Marine Forces, where Marines serve with the Navy. Designers flew in a CH-53 helicopter to the amphibious ship USS Nassau, off the Norfolk coast, where they lived in troop-berthing spaces and saw Marines prepare for landings.

The designers learned how history shaped the Marines ethos as well. They read about and then journeyed to the sites of its hallmark battles – Belleau Wood in France, Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima – accompanied by Long and former Director of the History and Museums Division Col. John W. Ripley, a Navy Cross winner in Vietnam.

It was atop Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi, where the historic flag-raising occurred on Feb. 23, 1945, that designers saw the reverence and pride that Marines hold for their heritage. In a quiet moment, Ripley placed Marine Corps medallions on the geodetic marker indicating the site of the flag-raising, with the intent of giving them to fellow Marines at home. Exhibit designer Bill Ruggieri of Christopher Chadbourne and Associates later remarked, it was as if these medallions were “dipped in the waters at Lourdes.” One of the unparalleled rewards of being a Marine is being a part of an institution that made such history.

The central structure within Semper Fidelis Memorial Park will be the chapel, a striking building designed to be reminiscent of field chapels erected by Marines on battlefields all over the world.

Courtesy of Marine Corps Herritage Foundation

A Design that Pays Homage to the Corps

Referring to the now-built National Museum of the Marine Corps, architect Curt Fentress calls it “taking the hill.” Just as the flag-raising on Mount Suribachi commanded the attention of Marines on Iwo Jima and Navy ships at sea over 60 years ago, its architectural metaphor, the museum’s 210-foot central gallery and angled spire, rises from high ground and can readily be seen by northbound travelers on Interstate 95. The museum captures people’s attention and shifts that attention to its contents, beginning with an engraving at the entrance: “Enter and experience what it means to be a Marine.”

But the museum is only the first phase for an even larger experience that the Marine Corps Heritage Center promises.

Walking sites like Belleau Wood and Wake Island evokes remembrance and reflection. The planned Semper Fidelis Memorial Park will provide such an experience for visitors. It will help commemorate the sacrifices of Marines who served the nation and will be the most emotive aspect of the Marine Corps Heritage Center.

Located on approximately three wooded acres south of the museum, the park’s paths will connect visitors to the facts of Marine Corps history, to the ethos and esprit de corps that underpin this institution. Composed of paved and decomposed granite, these paths will lead past monuments erected to Marine Corps organizations and those who served in them. Portions of the paths will be lined with commemorative bricks engraved with the names of those honored by families and friends. Commemorative benches along the way will offer opportunities for solitude and reflection.

The central structure within Semper Fidelis Memorial Park is the chapel, reminiscent of the field chapels that Marines often set up in mess tents when operating in combat areas. Composed primarily of wood and glass, the chapel’s design resembles a tent canopy with open sides. However, its soaring roofline, stone base and nearby water feature also symbolize Marine Corps operations on air, land and sea. Inside, textured wooden planks will cross the ceiling. And, just as field chapels provided Marines with respite and moments of prayer, the park’s chapel will offer the same to visitors. Additionally, this denominational chapel will be available for weddings and funerals.

The park’s water feature is a symbolic connection to the Marine Corps’ amphibious tradition. It will originate at the chapel in the form of a stream, growing in size as it passes through a memorial wall rising above it, and flowing into a large pond on the low ground within the center. The park’s paths will repeatedly bridge this water feature. outdoor, lighted parade deck just north of the museum. Here, visitors will be able to see the precision of Marines on parade, and attend Marine Corps band concerts and other events. The site will also serve as a demonstration area for Marine Corps capabilities and equipment.

The museum’s 210-foot angled spire and central gallery structure echo the iconic Marine Corps image of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima, as well as other martial images of the Corps.

National Archives Photos

National Archives Photos

Future additions to the center may include an office building that will serve as a home for the Marine Corps History and Museums Division. The master plan also calls for adjacent facilities dedicated to artifact restoration and preservation. Additionally, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation anticipates the private construction of an onsite hotel and conference center.

A National Treasure

“Ultimately, the once and future Marine Corps depends … on the labor and dedication of those obscure Americans who chose to serve in the Fleet Marine Forces,” wrote Alan R. Millett in Semper Fidelis. The same is true for the Marine Corps Heritage Center that tells their story. To date, that effort has been described by Brig. Gen. Gerald McKay (USMC-Ret), chief operating officer for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation: “For all of us who have had the honor and privilege to work on this project, it has truly been a labor of love.” Their result: a national treasure which conveys the meaning of “Semper Fidelis.”