|
 McNeel’s, “The Greatest Name In Stonecraft,” has a section called “Soldier Monuments.” On page 287, there is a soldier monument titled “Hill Hallihan,” that I will call “Hallihan”. I have not yet learned whether the water-color portraits in McNeel’s classic treatise were for actual persons killed or were merely samples for display purposes.
This memorial’s epitaph reads as follows:
Hill Hallihan
U.S. Marine Corps
December 11, 1916
Lost His Life
In The Heroic Defense of
Wake Island
February 1, 1942
|
There is no exaggeration to say that the Marines fought heroically to defend the island from invasion by a larger Japanese force. Though Japanese forces were ultimately able to control the island, it was not without weighty fatalities, ending with more than 800 dead in the two landings on Wake Island.
Straight-Top Vertical Monument
The Hill memorial has a straight top. Normally, I am not enamored with straight-topped monuments; however, I admire this one. This is a vertical memorial, as it is taller than it is wide. Usually, I prefer vertical over horizontal monuments.
Checks
Around the top of this monument, McNeel has used checks to create an attractive memorial. Checks are created by a cut, or recess, in the stone, usually on the highest point or ends. Checks are a rabbet-shaped cutting, with rabbets being cuts that fit inside adjoining parts to fit together.
Flutes or Grooves
Horizontal flutes are used as molding in the area outside the panel where the name is located. Flutes are parallel grooves used for decoration. When this decoration is used, it is called fluting.
Raised Band or Panels
This memorial has raised bands, or panels, for the front and sides and presumably the back as well. A raised band is a raised, continuing panel that offers an ideal position for memorializing and conveying the family story. Panels may be raised, recessed or framed. I am especially impressed with the moldings used for this memorial.
Base:
The base has a wash, which is a feature that promotes the flow of water away from the monument. A wash, or drop wash, is a beveled surface on the upper portion of the upper edge of a monument to assure water run off. A wash is one of the easiest upgrades for a base away from the typical “flat top.”
McNeel identifies the dimensions of the Hallihan as follows:
McNeel provided three recommended size options for the Hallihan.
287 A
Hallihan
Y-3529
|
Length x Width x Height
A.
2-0 x 0-8 x 3-8
3-0 x 1-4 x 0-8
B.
2-6 x 0-8 x 4-6
3-6 x 1-4 x 0-8
C.
3-0 x 0-10 x 5-6
4-4 x 1-8 x 0-10
|
Tablet
Base
Tablet
Base
Tablet
Base
|
Monument Dimensions Explained
For those not versed in the language of the monument industry, the dimensions for the tablet are as follows:
Option A above is the smallest size shown; it is 2 feet long, 8 inches wide, 3 feet 8 inches tall, with a 3 foot base, 16 inches wide, and 8 inches tall. Option B offers a 4 foot 6 inch tall tablet, and Option C offers a 5 foot 6 inch tall tablet. As with all designs, you can scale the monument designs up or down, as your needs may require.
This is a beautiful memorial with simple and straight but imaginative lines. The Marine Corps symbols of the eagle, the globe and the anchor emblem are centered high and proud. The great courage of the men of the U.S. Marines Corp on Wake Island is one of the most outstanding stories of heroism during battle in our nation’s history. To my Marine Corps comrades past, present, and future, I say, Semper Fi!
|
