# Man charged after Iwo Jima monument near Quantico is damaged

Prince William County police say officers found a man striking the limestone sculpture with a sledgehammer. A Marine heritage group is assessing restoration.

By The Signal Edition | News / U.S.
Published: 2026-10-23T21:45:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-23T21:45:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/cr1wow58y-quantico-iwo-jima-monument-damage-2026-10-23
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/e017f63c2ecef2baf05198e622fbf3cf.webp (Composite showing the detached limestone head and the damaged Quantico Iwo Jima monument; credit: NBC4 Washington)

## Summary
- Police responded at about 10:13 p.m. Wednesday to the monument outside Quantico’s main gate.
- A 27-year-old man faces property, trespass and monument charges; the allegations have not been adjudicated.
- The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation is assessing restoration and raising funds.

## What police reported

A man has been charged after an Iwo Jima flag-raising monument near Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia was extensively damaged Wednesday night, according to Prince William County police. Officers went to the statue near Richmond Highway and Fuller Road at about 10:13 p.m. Oct. 21 after a property-destruction report. The department says they found a man striking the sculpture with a sledgehammer and detained him without incident. [1](https://www.pwcva.gov/assets/2026-10/Releases%2010.22.2026.pdf)

Police identified the arrested man as Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, of Stafford. Their Oct. 22 incident report lists felony destruction of property, felony injury to a monument and trespass with intent to damage property. It said a court date was pending and he was held without bond at that point. These are charges, not a conviction. [1](https://www.pwcva.gov/assets/2026-10/Releases%2010.22.2026.pdf)

## The damage

The head of one sculpted figure was removed, police said, and the monument sustained other damage. The department estimated damage in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, an early figure rather than a finalized restoration bill. The Washington Post reported additional visible damage based on police information and photographs. [1](https://www.pwcva.gov/assets/2026-10/Releases%2010.22.2026.pdf) [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/10/22/virginia-man-arrested-damaging-iwo-jima-statue-near-quantico/)

NBC4 Washington reported from the site and spoke with Keil Gentry, director of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Gentry said experts had been consulted and described the likely repairs as challenging. Police did not announce a motive, and the reason for the alleged actions should not be assumed from the charges. [1](https://www.pwcva.gov/assets/2026-10/Releases%2010.22.2026.pdf) [2](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/man-broke-head-off-of-iwo-jima-statue-in-quantico-with-sledgehammer-police-say/4170656/)

## Which monument was affected

The damaged artwork is a limestone monument outside the main gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico, not the larger bronze U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington. The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation identifies the work as a smaller version of the famous flag-raising scene associated with Joe Rosenthal’s 1945 photograph on Iwo Jima. [3](https://www.marineheritage.org/restore-iwo-jima) [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/10/22/virginia-man-arrested-damaging-iwo-jima-statue-near-quantico/)

That distinction matters because both works are often called the Iwo Jima memorial in headlines. The Quantico sculpture stands by a base entrance in the Triangle area; the Arlington memorial is separate. The foundation calls the damaged monument a lasting tribute to Marines and the wartime flag-raising it depicts. [3](https://www.marineheritage.org/restore-iwo-jima) [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/10/22/virginia-man-arrested-damaging-iwo-jima-statue-near-quantico/)

## Restoration ahead

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation says it has launched a fundraising effort to help restore the monument. Its restoration page says the full scope of work is still being assessed and that any project is subject to planning and approvals. The final cost, repair method and timetable remain unsettled. [3](https://www.marineheritage.org/restore-iwo-jima)

NBC4 reported that the statue has been a backdrop for promotions, commissions, retirements and reenlistments across generations. The criminal case remains at the charging stage while the preservation effort begins. The foundation has not announced a confirmed completion date for repairs. [2](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/man-broke-head-off-of-iwo-jima-statue-in-quantico-with-sledgehammer-police-say/4170656/) [3](https://www.marineheritage.org/restore-iwo-jima)

## Reporting sources
1. [Prince William County Police Department: Daily Incident Report, October 22, 2026](https://www.pwcva.gov/assets/2026-10/Releases%2010.22.2026.pdf) (2026-10-22)
2. [NBC4 Washington: Man broke head off Iwo Jima statue in Quantico with sledgehammer, police say](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/man-broke-head-off-of-iwo-jima-statue-in-quantico-with-sledgehammer-police-say/4170656/) (2026-10-22)
3. [Marine Corps Heritage Foundation: Help Restore the Quantico Iwo Jima Monument](https://www.marineheritage.org/restore-iwo-jima) (2026-10-23)
4. [The Washington Post: Virginia man charged in damage of Iwo Jima statue near Quantico](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/10/22/virginia-man-arrested-damaging-iwo-jima-statue-near-quantico/) (2026-10-22)