Iwo Jima Memorial gets $3 million renovation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The iconic U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, which faces the nation's capital, is undergoing the most extensive restoration in its more than 50-year history.

Better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, the depiction of Marines raising a flag above the World War II battleground honors all Marines who have given their lives to defend the United States. The original design was based on news photographs and was dedicated in Arlington, Va., in 1954.

Now a $3 million project is under way to help preserve the statue for another 50 years with improvements to the plaza grounds and lighting that surrounds the statue, said George Washington Memorial Parkway Acting Superintendent John James.

"There's been deterioration and some problems," James said. "We're inspecting the inside of the statue to make sure that's all OK and correcting any problems that we see."