The United States Marine Corp Memorial is often referenced as Iwo Jima because of the massive, 78 foot tall sculpture that recalls the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi on the small island of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. Modeled after the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, the memorial offers visitors an opportunity to recreate the flag raising experience with a unique optical illusion achieved by driving around it in a counter-clockwise direction.