Local Marine seeks survivors of Iwo Jima

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

At a U.S. Marine Corps convention in San Diego last June, Pfc. Marie Mackey won a 31-inch by 39-inch drawing of the iconic World War II image that depicts the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima, Japan.
Instead of hanging it on a wall at her Santa Barbara home, Mackey hopes to donate it to a museum.


But before she can part ways with the drawing, which has the signatures of 50 marines who fought at Iwo Jima in1945, Mackey said she wants to locate any local marines who were there, so they can put their signatures on it as well.
“I know there are people here in town that are Iwo Jima survivors,” she said.
Mackey said she knows of one local survivor who is a member of the local chapter of the Marine Corps League, which she belongs to as well, and was told there is another local survivor, but she hasn’t been able to reach him.
Once she rounds up as many signatures as she can, Mackey said she plans to donate the drawing to the National Museum of the Marine Corps on the Quantico Marine Corps base in Virginia.
Mackey said the drawing was shipped to her in August and has since been trying to find the best way to go about locating the men she hopes are still around to sign their names.
Mackey is one of a handful of women who celebrated the 65th birthday of the Women Marines Association on Wednesday at the Veterans Memorial Building on Cabrillo Blvd. Mackey and the other women on hand all served as Marines in either World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War.
Mackey, who be 79 in May, and her husband Francis both enlisted in the Marines just before the Korean War began in 1950.
She said anyone who fought at Iwo Jima and would like to sign the drawing can contact her by e-mail at f.h.mackey@att.net