Wrong Carbines on Iwo Jima Memorial

[Bruce McAskill]

The memorial was made by Felix de Weldon. The Marines supplied him the equipment worn then but gave him a rebuilt carbine to use as an example. It had the type 3 barrel band on it and he just copied it as he was not told otherwise. The carbines also have the type 2 adjustable rear sights too. There is a much smaller version of this he donated to the Navy War Collage in Newport Rhode Island where de Weldon lived.

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[GolfBravoUSMC]

The memorial was made by Felix de Weldon. The Marines supplied him the equipment worn then but gave him a rebuilt carbine to use as an example. It had the type 3 barrel band on it and he just copied it as he was not told otherwise. The carbines also have the type 2 adjustable rear sights too. There is a much smaller version of this he donated to the Navy War Collage in Newport Rhode Island where de Weldon lived.

A project of this size of the Iwo Jima Memoial would have had technical advisers to the artist, Felix de Weldon, those advisers slipped up on this one. Mr. de Weldon paid close attention to detail including having the three survivors model for the sculpture. If you notice, the men carrying Carbines have the correct cartridge belts. Also notice Pfc Ira Hayes has his poncho tucked into the back of his cartridge belt.

In the greater scheme of things the Carbines are no big deal, just interesting from a collectors point of view. Thank God no one gave the artist a BAR or a Thompson.