Battleship Texas honors Iwo Jima vets on 73rd anniversary of WWII battle

Retired Navy Chaplain Gregory McCrimmon, with the Michael E Debakey VA Medical Center, left, and Alma Contreras, 17, with the ESTEM High School Jr. ROTC color guard, right, prepare to begin a program on the Battleship Texas, 3523 Independence Parkway South, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, in Houston. The event was in commemoration of the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. less Retired Navy Chaplain Gregory McCrimmon, with the Michael E Debakey VA Medical Center, left, and Alma Contreras, 17, with the ESTEM High School Jr. ROTC color guard, right, prepare to begin a program on the ... more Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Battleship Texas honors Iwo Jima vets on 73rd anniversary of WWII battle 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

The Battleship Texas Foundation on Sunday celebrated the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the final offensives in the Pacific during World War II.

The fourth annual commemoration hosted here honored veterans with Retired Lt. General Joseph F. Weber, who served almost four decades in the U.S. Marine Corps and recently headed the Texas Department of Transportation, presiding.

The foundation is a private organization that donates money for the upkeep of the ship, docked near the San Jacinto Monument in La Porte, and arranges tours and overnight stays for visitors. The ship itself is owned by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

During the five-week battle in 1945, U.S. Marines and Navy members suffered more than 24,000 casualties, including 6,000 killed in action. Most of the roughly 21,000 Japanese soldiers died. It was the site of the now iconic Associated Press photograph showing Marines lifting the American flag atop Mount Suribachi, which served as the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington D.C.