"The Three Soldiers" Replica Dedicated In Memorial Day Ceremony

As a follow up to my previous post, Roane County Veterans, and their supporters, came together Monday (Memorial Day) to honor all veterans, and especially the fallen, by dedicating a replica of the statues that compliment the "The Wall" in Washington, DC, "The Three Soldiers".

The Three Soldiers (also known as The Three Servicemen) is a bronze statue on the Washington, DC National Mall commemorating the Vietnam War.  It was created and designed to complement the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by adding a more traditional component to the Memorial.

That replica, sculpted by Greg Horak of Harriman, now stands in Riverfront Park in Harriman, Tennessee.  It is believed to be the largest replica of the memorial in the state, if not anywhere outside DC.

Roane County now has a place to go and remember those veterans that gave some, and those that gave all.

The effort to get the memorial financed and installed was a join project for American Legion Post 232 and the Newman-Davis American Legion Post 53, both of Harriman, TN.  At the ceremony Monday, both organizations participated in the formalities.

On hand were Post Commanders Bill Copeland (53) and Greg Love (232), Adjutants Cliff Cole (53) and Bronce Cleveland making sure Legionnaires knew their ceremonial duties.  Second District Commander Dennis E. Moldenhauer came to represent the American Legion Department of Tennessee.  

The event was kicked off with the Pledge of Allegiance, and a moving rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" by Pastor Alvin Douglass, also a member of Post 232.

 

 

The memorial was unveiled and formally dedicated by speeches from Gary Todd, Finance Officer of Post 53, Greg Love, Commander of Post 232, Janice Black, representing the Avery Trace Daughters of the American Revolution, and Cliff Cole, Adjutant of Post 53.

A wreath was posted in honor of the fallen of Roane County, and members of the Cunningham and Cleveland families were escorted to and from the presentation.

Various members read the names of Roane County fallen, each name followed by a ring of the American Legion bell.  Following this reading, which, by the way, was surprising long, was "TAPS" played by Perry Hawn.  

We seldom stop long enough to realize how many Roane County lives have been sacrificed for American freedom.  However, the American Legion knows every name and just how special that sacrifice was/is.

 

After all was said and done, the two Legion groups did a fantastic job, and the members stay a long time mingling and getting to know their Legion brothers, and other Veteran brothers.  It's good to see progress in the community.

All Veterans came together before of the "The Three Soldiers" memorial for a shoulder-to-shoulder photo to remember the great thing they had witnessed.

 

Also, on hand were members of the Vietnam Vet/Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club, Chapter H of Tennessee.  

Next up?  There are plans for a Korean, a WWII, and a "War On Terror" memorial that will join this memorial around the fountain in Riverfront Park.  It's good to be remembered for a job well done! 

It took 6 long years to raise enough money for the Vietnam memorial, so it is hoped the public will see fit to donate more toward the future plans.  We don't need to wait 6 more years...Veterans are dying every day, and memorials give them some bit of healing from the scares inflicted by war.  They sacrificed for us, so let's sacrifice for them...NOW! 

Give to the local American Legion for the memorial fund.

Here are various other photographs made during the ceremony.  Hopefully, you are among those attending!

 

 

 

 

Sculptor Greg Horak gets a round of applause!

 

"The Three Soldiers" Replica To Be Dedicated Monday At Riverfront Park

The Three Soldiers (also known as The Three Servicemen) is a bronze statue on the Washington, DC National Mall commemorating the Vietnam War.  It was created and designed to complement the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by adding a more traditional component to the Memorial.

The grand plan has long been to erect a full size replica of “The Three Soldiers” memorial in the “David Webb Riverfront Park”, as a tribute to Roane County Vietnam veterans.

The memorial, believed to be the only “full size” replica in the state, if not anywhere outside Washington D.C., will be placed in the park’s war memorial area near the present fountain.  Long term plans are to place other memorials from America’s other wars in this area as money and support comes along.

At long last the pieces to the statues came in and were inspected and pre-assembled earlier this week by Cliff Cole, Gary Todd, and other members of the Legion.

The memorial was unloaded and positioned for concrete today at the park.  A formal dedication ceremony will be held at 11AM on Monday (Memorial Day).  The replica is not a full bronze cast, as the one in Washington, but it is what the local budget would allow.  The primary purpose of the memorial is to honor all of the Roane County veterans that served, and especially those that sacrificed all, in the Vietnam War.

 

This well-known sculpture by Frederick Hart portrays three young uniformed American soldiers.  While the military attire is meant to be symbolic and general in nature, the combat equipment displayed represents the figures as serving in either the U.S. Army, or U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

Of the three men, the lead figure (in the middle) represents a Marine, as he wears a Type M-1955 body armor vest, which was worn exclusively by Marines in Vietnam. He is armed only with a Colt M1911A1 .45 caliber automatic pistol, which is carried in a Government Issue (GI) M-1916 leather pistol holster, positioned on the right hip.  The M-1916 holster is attached to an M-1956 GI pistol belt, and a small GI .45 pistol magazine pouch is carried on the belt's left front. The Marine wears a body-armor vest (but no shirt), along with Tropical Combat trousers and boots; he wears no headgear. Like his comrades, he carries a pair of plastic GI 1-quart canteens, carried in two M-1956 canteen covers that are attached to his pistol belt, and situated at the rear center hip.

The man on the right wears combat equipment consistent with a U.S. Army Soldier, and specifically, a Type M69 body armor vest, which was the primary armor vest used mainly by U.S. Army personnel in Vietnam, from about 1967 on.  His M69 armor vest is unsecured, and worn fully open at the front, which was a typical fashion of troops in Vietnam, as a measure in which to promote ventilation (in spite of reducing the vest's overall protective levels).  Draped around the collar of his M69 vest and hanging on his chest front, this Soldier carries a GI towel, which served to absorb sweat and cushioned heavy loads, and was a common practice of many Soldiers in Vietnam. In his left hand he carries an M16A1 rifle, the main battle rifle for both Soldiers and Marines, from about 1967 on.  His uniform consists of the Tropical Combat Uniform (jacket and trousers) and "jungle" boots.  As was typically done by U.S. combat personnel fighting in the oppressive tropical environment of Vietnam, the uniform jacket's sleeves are rolled up.  In his right hand, this Soldier holds an M1 steel helmet covered with a camouflage cover, that is secured over the helmet with an elastic headband (which itself retains a small bottle of GI insect repellent on the right side).  He also wears an M-1956 GI pistol belt over the waist of his uniform jacket, and it retains a GI 1-quart canteen and M-1956 canteen cover, situated at the left rear hip. Lastly, on a GI neck chain set, he wears a pair of GI Identification Tags (i.e. "Dog Tags"), which are visible on his bare chest, seen through the open front of his uniform jacket and armor vest.

The man on the left is slightly less specific in the service representation of his gear and uniform, but he appears to be a U.S. Army Soldier, as he wears a Tropical ("Boonie") Hat, which was widely worn by Army combat personnel in Vietnam (particularly towards the latter part of the war), and to a much lesser extent by Marines.  His uniform consists of the Tropical Combat Jacket and Trousers, and "jungle" boots. Like his comrade on his far left, his uniform jacket's sleeves are rolled up.  This man wears no body armor, and is armed only with an M60 machine gun, and he carries two separate belts of 7.62mm machine gun ammunition draped and criss-crossed over his torso.  He is also wearing an M17 Protective (Gas) Mask carrier on his left thigh, although U.S. troops infrequently wore or used gas masks in Vietnam. (They were used primarily when tear gas (CS gas) was employed in combat, such as by tunnel rats, and by troops engaged in urban/city combat, such as the Marines in Hue City in January and February, 1968). Under his uniform jacket, he also wears a GI M-1956 pistol belt, with two M-1956 canteen covers that are attached, each carrying a GI 1-quart canteens, and situated at the right rear hip. In order to portray the major ethnic groups that were represented in the ranks of U.S. combat personnel that served in Vietnam, the statue's three men are purposely identifiable as Caucasian (the lead man), African American (man on right), and Hispanic (man on left).  

These three figures were based on six actual young men models, of which two (the Caucasian, and the African-American) were active-duty Marines at the time that the sculpture was commissioned.  The Caucasian figure was modeled after James E. Connell, III, then a Corporal in the Marines; the African-American figure was modeled after three men, Marine Corporal Terrance Green, Rodney Sherrill and Scotty Dillingham; the Hispanic figure was modeled after Guillermo Smith De Perez DeLeon. 

It is hoped that if you are a VET, from any theater of war, you will come to the ceremony Monday and remember those that served and those that have gone on before us.

My thanks to the hard working Harriman American Legionnaires, and David Webb, for bringing this memorial to Riverfront Park.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO ERECT THE "THREE SOLDIERS" REPLICA IN HARRIMAN'S RIVERFRONT PARK

Back in August of 2011, I first posted about an event sponsored by the American Legion in Harriman, Tennessee.  This effort is coming to fruition on July 4, 2013, but much support is still needed.

The grand plan is to erect a full size replica of “The Three Soldiers” memorial in the “David Webb Riverfront Park”, as a tribute to Roane County Vietnam veterans.

The memorial, believed to be the only “full size” replica in the state, if not anywhere outside Washington D.C., will be placed in the park’s war memorial area near the present fountain. Long term plans are to place other memorials from America’s other wars in this area as money and support comes along.

The cost of the replica is thought to be between $12 and $14,000. The group did not ask the city for funding, but announced that funds for the monument would come from private donations and fund raising.

Anyone wanting to donate to the memorial can send a check to:

Riverfront Park
P.O. Box 1006
Harriman, TN. 37748

 

or to:

The American Legion

624 Morgan St.

Harriman ,Tn. 37748 

The planned date of July 4, 2013, is the goal for the erection of this fabulous monument in the Veteran Memorial section of the River Front Park.

 

There is still a lot of work to be done.

"THREE SOLDIERS" REPLICA TO BE ERECTED IN HARRIMAN'S RIVERFRONT PARK

I don’t normally go to Harriman’s City Council meetings, since I live in the county, but tonight a special presentation was scheduled that is dear to my heart.

David Webb, owner of the Rocky Top General Store, and for whom Harriman’s city park is named, along with Cliff Cole and Gary Todd, of the Harriman American Legion, informed the Harriman City Council Tuesday night of their plans to erect a full size replica of “The Three Soldiers” memorial in the “David Webb Riverfront Park”, as a tribute to Roane County Vietnam veterans.

The memorial, believed to be the only “full size” replica in the state, if not anywhere outside Washington D.C., will be placed in the park’s war memorial area near the present fountain. Long term plans are to place other memorials from America’s other wars in this area as money and support comes along.

The cost of the replica is thought to be between $12 and $14,000. The group did not ask the city for funding, but announced that funds for the monument would come from private donations and fund raising.

Anyone wanting to donate to the memorial can send a check to:

Riverfront Park
P.O. Box 1006
Harriman, TN. 37748

THE SOUTH WILL RISE IN HEAT AGAIN

Yes, it has been a very cold winter thus far. After nine straight days of near record cold temperatures, rain is predicted by tomorrow evening. There was never much snow, but the temps dropped and stayed below freezing for longer than it has in several years, so what little fell stuck around and is still around in places. Oh, it's been as cold over the past winters, but it has been some time since it stayed that cold during the day for this long.

I really don't remember, at least in recent memory, seeing the Emory River freeze over. It wasn't thick enough to walk out on, but there was at least an inch of ice covering the lake areas from shore to shore. The rocks and debris, including one garage can I saw, that kids threw out onto the ice still await a warm enough day to allow them to settle to the bottom.

Even the water inside plants and at their roots was forced up and out into beautiful little ice flowers known as "Frost Flowers"! I thought the little white things along the roadside were pieces of paper, but after stopping and taking a closer look I saw their beauty frozen in time.

There is one fountain in our local Riverfront Park that completely froze up, while another in the little pond by "Wild Wings Cafe" in Knoxville still struggled to put out its spray.

As I wrote in my last post, the ice covering the river made weird noises, sounds I called "singing" as the wind above and the water moving below pushed at the surface causing strains that made audible sounds. I've heard the Indians talk about the singing waters, but I always assumed it was babbling springs, but it could have also been the friction of the ice as it gently moved on the waters. Follow this link to hear the "Chants of Frozen Lakes" by Marc Namblard! Click the audio start button to hear the recordings.

Nonetheless, spring shall be back in sixty days or so, and all will be forgotten, save these photos. I suppose that's true about everything though...it's here...then gone...unless we have a photograph to remind us.

More frozen photos HERE.

THE PROTECTOR

A life-size, bronze sculpture entitled "The Protector" was unveiled at a memorial service held Sunday, September 21, 2008, in Harriman, Tennessee’s Riverfront Park, as police officers and sheriff's deputies from all across East Tennessee paused to remember their fallen brothers.

This is a beautiful little city park is where Judy and I frequently walk.

The park is situated on the banks of the Emory River, and is full of trees, flowers, and memorials to the fallen soldiers of war. There are also numerous benches dedicated to past city leaders and family loved ones. Therefore, it was a fitting location for “The Protector”.

The city of Harriman and its police department held the memorial service, and dedicated the statue to the memory of the region's 14 police officers and sheriff's deputies who died while serving their departments. The event was organized by Jesse Rittenhouse, the father of fallen police officer Matt Rittenhouse. The tribute also honored those who serve today.

ROANE COUNTY TENNESSEE SPRING WALKS

We are blessed in East Tennessee with many wonderful state and national parks, greenways, and pocket wildernesses to walk in and enjoy the spring wildflowers. Closer to home, in Roane County, we are again blessed with city parks, river walks, and a great little county park.

We often walk the .6 mile circuit of Riverfront Park within the city of Harriman. This week the garden clubs’ flowers are bursting out meeting the warm sun and blue skies. I captured the tulips this week, one beautiful Saucer Magnolia, sometimes called Japanese or Chinese Magnolia, and some bright green grass optimistically beginning life in a crack on the side of an old concrete storm drain!

Today and Sunday, Judy and walked Roane County Park enjoying the 1+ mile paved path through tall hardwoods, blooming wildflowers, like these May Apples and Trillium, looking at the Harrison Bay backwater from the Tennessee River, listening to the birds sing, and the ducks quack, and watching the turtles line up on a log for sunbath from the fishing pier!

We are truly blessed in this area with miles of quiet nature trails, some just 3 miles from home, unless of course you want to count a stroll in our own backyard. If we would just do it more often, we might not be look like we do!

Then of course, there was today’s walk around mom’s yard looking at her spring flowers and appreciating them…right down to the yellow dandelions, which have blown over from her neighbor’s yard!

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE!

A WALK IN THE PARK

Well, no, I have not heard from the doctor’s office about the potential problem with my lungs. However, I personally feel like things are much better.

I returned to Riverfront Park today and easily walked 1.8 miles at a lively pace marked by tunes from the Rolling Stones! I had no breathing problems or fatigue, and could have gone much further with some companionship.

Spring continues to come to the area with more 75+ weather and late afternoon thunder showers that watered the blooming flowers. We are over six inches below normal in rainfall and the fast passing rain showers will never make up the deficit.

Now, I have got to get my mower ready for spring as well, even though my shoulder is not quite ready for the task. I do go back to the doctor tomorrow for my five-week “post op” check up. Now will come the physical therapy, which I dread, but it is the only path back to full recovery.

AH, SPRING IS IN THE AIR

I have been trying to get back in hiking shape again and walked the 6/10 of a mile around Riverfront Park three times the day before yesterday. However, yesterday I could not make it once! I cannot seem to get air down deeply into my lungs. I am going to the doctor today to get some answers. I cannot let this get me down.

Anyway, the flowers were beginning to bloom, bringing color back to the world.

There was also one bride out having her picture made. There was no groom around so I do not know if this was post or pre-wedding shooting!