A sizeable donation from the national Young Marines of the Marine Corps League has sealed Molly Marine’s place at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Construction of the statue had already begun when leaders from the Young Marines, a youth education and service program, presented leadership of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and the Women Marines Association with a novelty check representing their $50,000 donation April 19, 2013, at the museum.

“Hopefully, by early May, Molly will have her rightful place here at the Marine Corps Museum,” said retired Lt. Gen. Rusty Blackman, president of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation at the check presentation.
Molly was, in fact, placed on her pedastle April 24, althought the monument is not yet completed.
“This is exciting because this will be the first statue honoring the women Marines here at the museum,” said Betty Moseley-Brown, national president of the Women Marines Association.

The statue is a replica of the first statue of a female service member in uniform in the country, erected in New Orleans in 1943, as part of an effort to recruit women into the Corps during World War II. One such replica currently stands in front of the Gray Research Center at Quantico.

The Women Marines Association has been raising money to fund the project, which is being executed by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, sponsor of the museum.

At the dedication of another statue at the museum late last year, Mike Kessler, national director and CEO of the Young Marines, mentioned to Blackman that he wanted his organization to participate in populating the museum site with sculptures, Kessler said. Blackman put him in touch with the WMA.

“They said they needed $50,000, and we collaborated, and here’s the result right here,” Kessler said, indicating the construction already underway.

— Writer: mdicicco@quanticosentryonline.com