ARLINGTON, Va. — When you have questions about something you see online, our Verify team gets answers--even if it's about an iconic DMV landmark dedicated nearly half a century ago.
THE QUESTION:
Is there an extra, 13th hand on the statue of soldiers raising the flag at Iwo Jima in the Marine Corps War Memorial?
THE SOURCES:
- The National Park Service
- The Marines Corps website
- The Marine Corps War Memorial Park in Arlington
THE ANSWER:
Though the popular myth has had a grip on statue lore: no, there are only 12 hands.
WHAT WE FOUND:
An enduring image of war and triumph made larger than life to commemorate Marine lives lost: the United States Marine Corps War Memorial depicts the iconic moment on Feb. 23, 1945, when Marines raised the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima. It was captured in an AP photo and the inspiration for the enormous bronze sculpture at the heart of the memorial park in Arlington.
"The memorial itself memorializes all U.S. Marines who have sacrificed their lives, dating back to the Revolutionary War all the way up to the present day," said National Park Service spokesman Mark Maloy. "It honors all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom."
He says the memorial park overlooking the District is one of the most-visited monument sites in the area, with more than 1.5 million visitors each year.
Though the memorial depicts a real moment in history, legend has it the sculptor had a hand in giving it even bigger meaning.
"There's a kind of a persistent myth that has been around for years and years and years," said Maloy.
Recently, viewer Janine asked us about possible hidden symbolism in the "Iwo Jima statue," after seeing the story in an online post: that on a statue of six men, there are 13 hands, with the extra meant to symbolize “the hand of God” raising the flag.
"This gained traction as the internet came into being, and it became so persistent that even one historian actually went and talked to the sculptor who was Felix de Weldon, and he asked him, 'did you add a 13th hand in there?' And apparently he threw his hands up and said, 'Thirteen? Who needs 13? Twelve were enough.'"
From the ground in Arlington, we could only count 12 hands: two for each of the six men The Marines Corps has officially identified as raising the flag in Japan that day.
Maloy says during recent renovations, a crew up on scaffolding even looked around for a hidden extra hand somewhere in the folds.
"There are only 12 hands," Maloy confirms.
But Maloy encourages visitors not to let the legend's inaccuracy take anything away from the power of the statue.
"This symbol of men coming together, putting that flag up, it's pretty inspirational," he said. "It kind of makes it ripe for those kinds of myths….but I don't think you even need those myths to tell this story, because the heroism and sacrifice of those Marines is enough."
If there's something you want us to verify, send us an email at verify@wusa9.com.