Community Spotlight: Iwo Jima Project Takes Shape with Nonprofit on Board

BRADENTON – Two businesses that want to bring the historic Iwo Jima Memorial to southwest Florida are formalizing their efforts by forming a nonprofit and creating a board of directors.

The newly formed “Iwo Jima Memorial Project” is also working to establish the fair market value of the historic memorial they are seeking to obtain on behalf of southwest Florida. Once it handles that step, the Project will pursue a letter of intent with the seller and begin raising money to purchase the statue.

“I am truly excited to be working with Digital Image (Business Solutions) in this endeavor,” said Kevin Henault, the third-generation military veteran and owner of Veteran Air, who started the statue drive. “Every day, this endeavor gets more exciting, and the statue coming to southwest Florida gets closer to becoming reality.“

The organization’s goal is to purchase the statue and relocate it from storage in New York to a place of the community’s choosing in Manatee or Sarasota counties. The statue is the original model for the bronze Iwo Jima Monument that sits in Arlington, Virginia.

It commemorates the moment U.S. Marines captured the island of Iwo Jima in 1945, conquering the Japanese Army in World War II.

“This statue commemorates a turning point in our country’s history,” said Gregg Anderson, owner of Digital Image Business Solutions, which is lending its business development and marketing expertise to the Iwo Jima Project. “I believe this project can be a springboard to linking veterans past and present.”

The group’s new board includes Hugh Shields, marketing manager for Gold Coast Eagle Distributing; and Robert Moffa, Founder and COO of the American Ideals Foundation, Inc. 501 (c)3.

“I’ve found Gregg and Kevin to have great sincerity,” said Moffa. “This has almost become an obligation for them.”

Anderson and Henault expect to have all organizational details of their new nonprofit confirmed by Aug. 31.

Digital Image Business Solutions is a business development, marketing and advertising firm that guides organizations on how to save time and increase sales by integrating online with traditional forms of outreach. Veteran Air is a heating and air-conditioning firm that aims to provide the same integrity of service as our military.

For more information on the Iwo Jima Memorial Project, please contact Anderson at 941-757-1880 or Gregg@dibsfl.com. For more information on Digital Image Business Solutions, visit www.DibsFLMarketing.com. For more information on Veteran Air, visit www.VeteranAC.com.