Marines' History Has a Home

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Marines' History Has a Home

Leatherneck | Mary D. Karcher | July 14, 2006

How do you create a museum worthy enough to portray 231 years of Marine Corps history in all its glory?

The question was posed and pondered by many Marines past and present, including members of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (MCHF), historians and curators from the Marine Corps History and Museums Division, current and former Commandants, prominent business leaders with Marine Corps experience, as well as professional architects and exhibit designers. Their answer to that question will be revealed in November when the much-anticipated National Museum of the Marine Corps will open to the public.

As you enter Leatherneck Gallery, the central circular room of the museum, you will need to pause and take a deep breath. Below you the terrazzo floor resembles the sea glistening in the sun. Seemingly suspended in the sky, visible through the glass ceiling, are two World War II-era Corsairs (one an F4U-4 and the other an FG-1), a WW I-era Jenny JN4-HG biplane and an AV-8A Harrier, all in attitudes of activity with cast figures of Marines inside. On the floor of the museum is a Sikorsky HRS-1 helicopter displayed as it was first used in the Korean War and an LVT-1 Alligator (WW II amphibian tractor) going over a coconut log wall on Tarawa.

Set into the walls of the gallery are eight huge photos -- 12 feet high and 9 feet wide—each portraying an individual Marine. While the stories of heroes are well-known and represented there, the museum is dedicated to showing the contribution of the individual Marine. In fact, all of the models for the cast figures in the museum were actual Marines.

Across the room, the stairwell evokes a ship's superstructure; ascending it puts you eye to eye with the gunner in the Curtiss Jenny biplane. Encircling the room, etched near the ceiling in the travertine marble walls are 10 quotes describing Marines, such as Hanson W. Baldwin's: "And they live tradition; the United States Marine bears upon his shoulders the nation's past and the nation's hopes for the future."

History is an absolutely essential component of being a Marine. Therefore, steadfastly preserving their heritage has been paramount to Marines. Immersed in history from the first day they enter into training, Marines learn about noble, courageous and often larger-than-life leathernecks and their remarkable achievements. The stories not only serve as inspiration but also set the bar pretty high for those who continue the long tradition of service to our country.

The bar was set pretty high for the building of this museum too. Lacking adequate facilities to preserve deteriorating artifacts and recognizing the importance of sharing Marine Corps history with the public, the Marine Corps wanted a world-class museum that would highlight the individual Marine and the contributions the United States Marine Corps has made to our country's history, according to Colonel Joseph C. Long, USMCR (Ret), the museum's deputy director.

In 1997, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Charles C. Krulak, appointed the Assistant Commandant, Gen Richard I. Neal, to chair an executive steering committee of senior leaders in various areas: fiscal, facilities, personnel, legal and such. Said Long, "I think this is one of the most important things that happened because it gave absolute senior level of the Marine Corps attention to this [museum]."

Long is one of the many Marines summoned to the project to apply the leadership and management skills acquired as a Marine. In Long's case, his talents were developed when he was a radio operator in Vietnam, while commanding a Reserve unit in Texas, and as a participant in the first Gulf War and operations in Somalia.

Called back to active duty to serve as the project manager in 1999 and continuing to serve after the job was civilianized in 2002, Long has spent more than seven years working in Quantico, Va., the site chosen for the museum, occasionally returning home to Albuquerque for leave. He has seen the project evolve from site selection to groundbreaking, sketches to building, hardhat construction to carpets and landscaping.

Even before an architect was selected for the museum, Col Long stood atop a hill on the museum site and remarked to the final four architectural competitors that an impressive building situated on just that spot would give a stunning view to northbound travelers on Interstate 95, drawing the public to visit the museum and creating a landmark. The winning design model from Fentress-Bradburn Architects Ltd. of Denver proposed a bold and striking design with a magnificent 210-foot spire reminiscent of the historic flag raising of Iwo Jima. And, yes, it was to stand proudly atop the hill, just like the flag on Mount Suribachi.

"The design is driven by the client," said museum Director Lin Ezell. "Any good architect needs to understand intimately the needs and unique demands of a museum client. They are as much driven by the culture of the organization that's being represented by the museum, as well as by the objects and the exhibit program that's specifically designed for that building."

Fortunately, Ezell, who became director of the museum in July 2005, is a quick study in Marine Corps culture. Prior to joining the Marines' team, she gained her museum expertise by serving 21 years with the Smithsonian Institution, most recently as program manager for the Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which opened to great acclaim in 2003. In the past year, Ezell has kept an incredibly fast pace preparing for opening day. "We hope they tell us we've done it right," she said.

She also hopes to introduce the Marine Corps culture to the public, to let them see how the Corps offers positive goals for young people: "This new museum wants very much to have a niche in contributing to recruitment, retention and education."

Greening Up All Hands
To acquaint the architects and designers with Marine culture, Col Long immersed them in the life of Marines. Architect Bryan Chaffee (of Fentress-Bradburn) and primary exhibit designers Chris Chadbourne and Bill Ruggieri (of Christopher Chadbourne and Associates) found themselves on a bus of recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.

They were introduced to the Corps just as new recruits are met: with the drill instructors' loud, fast-paced instructions as they issued orders to get off the bus, stand on the yellow footprints and listen to their rights and privileges, just like a real recruit. They observed the recruits at swim qualification and the rifle range, witnessed their grueling final test—the Crucible—and a graduation ceremony.

To gain a sense of the Marine-Navy tradition, they flew in a CH-53 helicopter out to USS Nassau (LHA-4) off the coast of Norfolk, Va., slept in the troops' berthing quarters, listened to a briefing in preparation for a landing and experienced life aboard ship.

They not only experienced Marine training but also learned about the Marine Corps' history. Former Director of the History and Museums Division Col John W. Ripley accompanied Long, architect Curt Fentress and designer Ruggieri to many places Marines recognize for the hard-fought battles that occurred there: Belleau Wood in France, Iwo Jima, Guam, Saipan and Tinian. They were surprised to find a rifle, sake bottles and ammunition boxes in one of the caves, and they stood right on the point where the flag was raised atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima.

The museum planners regarded this indoctrination into Marine Corps history and culture as absolutely critical to the architects' and designers' ability to recreate the scenes and design a structure that represents the essence of Marines.

Bulldozers, Cranes and Lots of Sweat
The bold design of the National Museum of the Marine Corps evokes many Marine Corps symbols. The tilt of the 210-foot mast calls to mind the silhouette of the Marine Corps War Memorial and the tremendous courage and tenacity of the Marines at Iwo Jima. It also has been suggested that it resembles a bayoneted rifle, a howitzer firing at a high angle, a sword drawn from its sheath or an ascending aircraft.

Nathan James, one of the architects, said, "The architecture is its own homage to the Marine Corps."

Building such a structure was challenging, but the workers' skills would earn the admiration of any Marine. Centex Construction Company and Jacobs Facilities were selected for the job. Onsite supervisors, Centex Quality Control Manager and retired Reserve Marine Lieutenant Colonel Mike Fiorillo and Senior Construction Manager Steve Rose, said the fact that it was a Marine Corps project motivated the workers, some of whom had been Marines or have had relatives in the Corps. The first order of business each day was the raising of the American and the Marine Corps flags.

"Everybody out here has an appreciation of what [the Marines] have done for us and continue to do," said Rose.

Just to make sure no one forgets, Fiorillo makes it his personal mission to remind everyone as he walks the site wearing an eagle, globe and anchor on his hard hat. He pointed out two workers he has dubbed "Dugan's Raiders" and explained that they raise the colors each day and go a little further by displaying Marine stickers on their cars.

One exhibit recreating Hill 881 South has special meaning for Fiorillo, a helicopter pilot in Vietnam during the war. Hill 881S was the site of a critical battle, and it is one of four exhibits wherein the visitor is immersed in the fight by experiencing the sights, sounds and even the temperature of the location.

Two other immersion exhibits will be available when the museum opens: from WW II, visitors will experience hitting the beach on Iwo Jima; and from the Korean War, visitors will be transported to a 1950 nighttime scene of Marines at Toktong Pass during the breakout from the Chosin Reservoir. The WW I Belleau Wood immersion experience will recreate the view from a German trench as Marines approach and will appear in the second building phase of the museum.

Fiorillo's office is covered wall to wall with photographs of Marines, some he fought with, some he taught to fly and some he met as a result of this job. He seems to have a story about each and every one, which he tells with gusto and laughter. Displayed prominently is a quote sent by Lieutenant General James N. Mattis, dated Dec. 16, 2004, which reads: "It is always a good day when I can break free, go to the site [NMMC], and remember why I stick around this low paying outfit … lost a lot of lads along the way and I don't want them to be forgotten. This project will go a long way in preserving their memory. Semper Fi, JIM."

(LtGen Mattis is currently the commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command Quantico. He was the First Marine Division commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom I.)

As proud as Fiorillo is of his Marine Corps connection, he is clearly pleased with the work of his construction crew. As he introduced Damian Crook, responsible for the concrete work, and Jimmy DuBois Sr., in charge of the iron and structural steel work, he boasted about just how well they performed. Pointing to a spot on the ground, Fiorillo explained that they measure from that work point to various points around the circular room using a laser device called a "total station." "We're within one-quarter inch of being perfect," he said, beaming.

Marine veteran Anthony Johnson said he was excited to be working on such a famous building. Especially meaningful to him was the opportunity to shake hands with the 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen Michael W. Hagee, and other Marines touring the site, such as then-98-year-old retired Col Walter R. Walsh, head of the Marine Corps marksmanship program for many years. Johnson is saving everything written about the museum since he is now a part of history in the making.

Brigadier General Gerald L. McKay, USMC (Ret), chief operating officer of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, said, "It is not uncommon to walk into the building and find a group of workers standing there almost in awe of what they see unfolding on a daily basis. To a man, they have indicated their pride in being part of the construction team."

Fastidious Researchers Triumph Again!
While construction crews contended with the intricacies of the building's design, the historians labored over the artifacts and exhibits. "How do you describe ‘Chesty' Puller in 75 words or less?" lamented noted Marine historian and author, Col Joseph Alexander, USMC (Ret).

Alexander and fellow historian on the exhibit design team Beth Crumley conducted extensive research for more than five years and then turned around and condensed the information to meet text-length requirements for the displays. Artifact labels were limited to 50 words, including the title, accession data and donor information. They reviewed countless photos to select the 1,800 images in the museum, researched numerous artifacts, and then composed captions and labels explaining their significance.

Deciding what artifacts would most effectively represent a battle or an era was the responsibility of the previous senior curator, Ken Smith-Christmas, and the former deputy director of the History and Museums Division, Col Jon T. Hoffman, USMCR. The display plan of these artifacts was the job of the exhibit design firm Christopher Chadbourne and Associates, with support from the multimedia production company Batwin and Robin Productions Inc.

Both Crumley and Alexander conducted research for these companies. Alexander even provided research for the winning architectural firm and, according to Col Long, was a large part of the decision to approach the Marine Corps with the Iwo Jima design.

Crumley's fact-finding mission led her to many research facilities. "Some days," she said, "I'd be at the National Archives looking at World War II photos; the same day I would be down in their map room pulling plans for the [USS] Galena where Corporal John [F.] Mackie received his Medal of Honor. [Mackie's heroism in the Civil War earned him the first Marine MOH.] Some days I'd be at the [Washington] Navy Yard where I'd be listening to oral histories and then I'd have to run over to the Navy library to look for something in their rare book room, and it would be something as obscure as Marines and the interdiction of slave ships."

So how did Beth Crumley end up researching the Marine Corps? Seems her devotion to the Corps came from her father, Eugene Crumley, who was actually in the Army Air Corps. "He wasn't too good at bedtime stories, but he could tell a hell of a war story!" she said.

Her enthusiasm for the Corps is common among those who have played a part in the process of building the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Crumley said she wants the public to know that "for everyone who works on this project, it is so much more than just a job. I am thankful every day that I get to work with and for Marines."

Marines have been the heart and soul of the entire museum endeavor. The Marine family is represented in the planners, the construction crew, the historians and researchers, and even in those who have traveled to the site and marveled at the view from the overlook or those who have followed the progress from afar by viewing construction photos on the MCHF Web site, www.usmcmuseum.org.

"For all of us who have had the honor and privilege of working on this project," said BGen McKay, "it has been truly a ‘labor of love.' I am confident that all Marines will be proud of their museum."

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Copyright 2008 Leatherneck. All opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.

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