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thedrifter
04-09-08, 06:24 AM
Published Tuesday, April 8, 2008 10:18 PM PDT
Politics
Marines supported by arts
Foundation helped city of Newport Beach reach financial goal to build monument for the First Battalion, First Marines.

By Brianna Bailey

One check has cemented plans for a Newport Beach-sponsored memorial to honor a Marine Battalion that recently returned from Iraq. The Newport Beach Arts Foundation’s $5,000 donation Tuesday put the city over the top for a roughly $100,000 memorial to honor the First Battalion, First Marines.

“The Newport Beach Arts Foundation has been a supporter of the 1/1 memorial from the very beginning,” said Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry after accepting the check. “Although checks are still coming in every day, this donation marks the day we have reached the goal...It’s going to be a great civic event and a great piece of art.”

Newport Beach adopted the First Battalion, First Marines in 2003. The Battalion is based out of Camp Pendleton and has been deployed three times to Iraq over the past five years. The Marines returned from their latest deployment to Iraq in February.

“We worked very hard to raise this money, and we’re very pleased this will go to something that will improve our city both aesthetically and emotionally,” said Lila Crespin, Newport Beach Arts Foundation membership chairwoman and former president of the group.

The foundation hosted numerous fundraisers to raise money for the memorial, including a recent arts and crafts fair.

The sculpture, designed by South Dakota-based artist Benjamin Victor, depicts a Marine looking over his shoulder in bronze set against a polished black-granite backdrop, providing a mirror effect, where the Marine’s face in profile can be seen in the reflection of the shiny granite. The names of every service man and woman who has served in the 1/1 will be etched on the back of the granite memorial, along with the Battalion’s emblem.

The completed statue will stand 9-feet tall and weigh almost a metric ton. The solid, black-granite slab will weigh almost 1,500 pounds, and the cast bronze statue about 700 pounds. The hefty monument will have to be hauled by truck to Newport Beach from Victor’s studio in Aberdeen, S.D.

The city plans to unveil a memorial statue dedicated to the battalion on Memorial Day in Castaways Park.

Donations to the Newport Beach-sponsored First Battalion, First Marines fund are ongoing. Funds are used primarily to assist family members of the Battalion, especially the families of younger enlisted men, with unexpected expenses while their Marines are away on deployment.

Call (949) 644-3202 for more information.

Donations can be made payable to the City of Newport Beach 1/1 Fund and mailed to:

P.O. Box 1768

Newport Beach, CA 92658

Ellie