From the Trenches

Remebering Our Roots

by Lance Cpl. Daniel A. Flynn | Monday, March 29, 2010 10:00

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Lance Cpl. William Byrne and Cpl. David Belling, field artillery fire control men with Regimental Combat Team 3, originally stationed in Okinawa, Japan, built an Iwo Jima memorial at the RCT-3 compound to help motivate and lift the spirits of the Marines and sailors stationed here.

CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan - What is needed to get through a combat deployment? Some might say the answer is perseverance, determination and motivation.

Cpl. David Belling and Lance Cpl. William Byrne, field artillery fire control men with Regimental Combat Team 3, went out of their way to help bring a little motivation to their fellow Marines and sailors, building a silhouetted Iwo Jima memorial at the RCT-3 compound.

This particular memorial depicts one of the most recognizable photographs of World War II taken by Joe Rosenthal of five Marines and one Navy corpsman raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on the fourth day of the Battle of Iwo Jima.

“I wanted to do what I could to help bring a little bit of motivation and help boost the morale of the Marines,” said Belling.
They started working on the memorial July 20, and it took about eight hours to complete it.

We worked on the project because we wanted to inspire others by reminding everyone of the history of our Corps, Byrne said.
Throughout the process of building the memorial, service members approached the Marines and took time to shake their hands and show appreciation for their efforts.

“The memorial just signifies what Marines are,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Gustavo Ortiz, the religious program specialist with RCT-3. “It is things like this that make it such a privilege to serve with Marines.”

In their efforts, Belling and Byrne have left an iconic image of pride and inspiration so that those who travel past will remember the sacrifice Marines and sailors have given.