Marine Corps
Interrogator Translator Teams Association
MCITTA was notified in December of 2015 that the grounds prep work was in a sufficient state to pour the base slab. Vince, Howard and Harry were on hand the first week of December 2015 but Mother Nature intervened and the slab was postponed.
The first week of April on or about April 7th 2016 the slab was poured. Two weeks later on Wednesday 20 April the monument was set in place. The monument was not what MCITTA had contracted for. The site contractor indicated he would be sodding the area and once that was accomplished the last thing on his Phase One check list prior to his contract completion would done. The monument was not the monument MCITTA had ordered nor was it the monument the local contractor had contracted from the quarry. On the 26th of April the Director of the Museum Board reviewed the monument to determine with our Chairman’s approval what if any action should be taken with our monument contractor/provider. Negotiations determined that another quarry would be contracted, the incorrect monument removed, and a new monument cut to MCITTA specifications would be placed and maintained annually by the local contractor at no additional cost.
The first week of May 2017 the contractor traveled to the Ohio quarry to affix the bronze plaque to the finished product, arrange transportation and establish a shipping date. By May 17, 2017 the MCITTA monument was installed in its place of honor at the Museum of the Carolina Marines.
On Thursday June 22, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. dedication ceremonies were conducted at the memorial park of Camp Johnson in front of the Museum. Ceremonies lasted approximately one hour. All local MCITTA members have been notified and invited along with members of the Intelligence Battalion stationed at Camp LeJeune. Sufficient local news coverage has been invited. Four TV stations and three news journals covered the ceremonies. The local Mayor proclaimed June 22nd to be designated as MCITTA Day in Jacksonville, N.C.
On the 15th of this month (May)
the on scene MCITTA Monument
Committee member, Howie Kahn,
attended the official ground
breaking ceremony at Camp
Lejeune, N.C. on the site chosen
for the newly approved Marine
Museum. The ceremony was
conducted with all the standard
pomp and circumstance with the
announcement that phase one
should be completed by October
this year. Phase one will
consist of clear cutting and
grubbing the entire area
designated for the museum plus
the placement of the two Eagle
and Globe monuments and the
MCITTA monument. It is with some
degree of pride and pleasure
that I am able to announce to
all hands baring any drastic
unforeseen obstacles our
monument should be in place NLT
than November 2015.
Semper
Fidelis,
Harry
Todd
Chairman
of the Monument Committee Update September 22, 2014
Howard Kahn reported on the status of the MCITTA Monument. The Secretary of the
Navy has approved the placement of the MCITTA Monument at the Museum for
Carolina Marines in Jacksonville, NC. The Monument should be placed at the
museum in the spring of 2015 (March-June). Plans for dedicating the monument
will be disseminated at a later date.
MONUMENT COMMITTEE
REPORT (Update Jun2012) The Directors then proceeded to explain why they
made the flood light request. Our monument will be one of only two to be placed
within an enclosed plaza area inside the museum proper. It will be seen by
patrons from inside the museum as well as from outside. All other subsequent
monuments will be placed in a dedicated area adjacent to the museum on the
surrounding grounds. Our monument will be under constant protection as a result
of its placement. According to the Director’s report our monument will be the
first of any monuments placed at the museum. The second and only other such
monument accorded this honor will not be ready for placement for approximately
two years. MCITTA will ready to place our monument by January of 2013. The exact
date is to be announced. The museum expects to begin ground breaking in
late August/early September 2012. Once MCITTA receives word the placement area
is ready the monument can be installed and we can begin planning for an official
dedication ceremony in conjunction with our 2013 Gathering at Camp LeJeune.
Unfortunately pictures of the monument as it came from the quarry are not
available. The dimensions of the pad for placement will be 9’6” long by 4’6”wide
and approximately 6” to 8” inches thick. The bronze plaque has been started and
is expected to be completed and given final approval in July 2012. Our Monument Committee Chairman, Harry Todd, has
issued a challenge to each of our Board of Directors and to all MCITTA members
to match his donation of $200.00 to cover the electrician’s bill for flood
lights. Should any such monies be received over and above the billed cost they
are to be presented to the museum as a donation from MCITTA. This is a fair and
equitable way to receive money for the bill and a donation at the same time
precluding another call for additional donation from our members in the future. Respectfully
Submitted, MCITTA Monument
Committee Harry Todd and
Howard Kahn Between the dates of December 6 and 9 2011 the
MCITTA Monument Committee, Howie Khan and Harry Todd, met to discuss and review
progress of our memorial. It was determined that the stone was quarried from
the Alberta Quarry, one of the largest quarries on the east coast, located in
Georgia on November 10th 2011. Weighing about two to three tons, measuring five
feet high by six feet wide by four feet thick it was then trucked to the stone
cutter in Mount Airy, North Carolina where it will await carving and a decision
by the Museum Board for a firm start date for museum construction. Our committee
was informed carving will begin immediately upon establishment of this firm
start construction date. Upon completion the monument will be transported and
placed in its dedicated area as determined by the museum Board to await
dedication. Transportation, sculpting, placement, and base mount all inclusive
of quoted price by the supplier. The plaque will be cast in bronze with raised
lettering affixed to the monument by rosettes in each corner. The plaque is also
inclusive of the price quote. The lettering of names and banner above the names
will be sandblasted into the face of polished granite and blackened in order to
stand out. Divisional logos are colored enamel and sealed in a recessed position
to permanently affix them to the monument. The basin where the logos are located
will be polished and slightly slanted toward the front to provide drainage. The
shelf area in front of the plaque will as well be polished granite slightly
slanted toward the front for drainage with the ITT Combat logo permanently
affixed. On December 8, 2011 MCITTA's Monument Committee
met with the Board of Directors and Building Committee for the Museum of
Carolina Marines, Mr. Bruce Gomber (Chairman of the Board), Mr. Bill Ayers
(Interim Executive Director), Mr. Joe Houle (Director of Operations) Mr. L.J.
Kimball (Project Historian) and Ms. Scarlet Hanis (Executive Assistant) to
confirm a mutual understanding of needs and desires. The Museum Board is very
pleased with our design proposal, funding efforts and more than pleased and
proud we chose their Venue for our monument. The Board indicated that the
monument will receive a place of honor. MCITTA was informed the that our
monument was the first such request made to the Museum and as such is to be
included in the Museum's Phase I construction which includes landscaping plans,
infra-structure work and the location sites for present and planned monuments.
Phase I planning is 90% complete. For greater exposure the Board will place our
Monument in an open courtyard area just outside the Museum proper. The Board has
indicated because Montford Point is the birthplace of ITT, being so placed the
monument would not only enjoy a greater exposure it is most appreciated. The MCITTA Committee was informed the Museum will
be interconnected with the existing Beirut, VietNam, and 911 Memorials and the
proposed for the Corpsmen, Montford Monuments and eventually to expected Korean
War and WWII Memorials. The Museum is expected to begin construction in
early 2012 and have completion in 2013. Our Monument will be completed and
placed in 2012 and be dedicated in 2013 at our annual Gathering (Time to be
announced).
Harry Todd
Museum of the Marine update Dec
2014
This page was last updated on
06/25/17 Return Home
Update May 2015
The MCITTA monument committee representative on scene, Howard Kahn, by
invitation, attended a recent final construction meeting of the Carolina Marine
Museum of Marines Board of Directors at their headquarters located in the
Jacksonville, N.C. Industrial Park. It was suggested by the Directors that
MCITTA have flood lights installed to illuminate our monument during initial
construction. Having this done initially rather than subsequently will
substantially reduce installation cost. Installation cost for our monument will
be billed directly to MCITTA for the work involved to accomplish the objective.
That cost is estimated to be no more than $1600.00 in addition to all previous
costs. As our representative Howard made the on the spot decision and approved
the installation. This extra money is not needed until MCITTA is billed for
completed work sometime in 2013.
Monument Update (Dec2011)
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