A new veteran’s
memorial is being built in Florida. It’s underwater.
Abbie Bennett
May 31, 2019 - 10:51 am
On a Florida beach stand 12 silent service members, eyes
toward the sea.
One is a World War II pilot, his flight helmet on his
hip. Another is a sailor, binoculars in hand. A marine in dress blues stands
sharply at attention.
One carries a fallen comrade on his back.
At his feet are the words “No man left behind.”
All 12 are stone sentinels, waiting for their vigil to
begin. And for 12 more brothers and sisters to join them at home in the
depths of the sea.
The 12 concrete statues are set to become part of a
first-of-its-kind veterans memorial underwater of Florida’s coast in the Gulf
of Mexico. It’s called “The Circle of Heroes.”
The nonprofit Brighter Future Florida, headed by former
Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly, is working to fund the first underwater
veterans memorial, which the organization hopes will become a worldwide diving
destination.
Located about 10 miles off the Pinellas County coast in
40 feet of water, the memorial is planned to include 24 different life-size
concrete statues of men and women in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Coast Guard,
Marines and Navy.
The six-foot statues will be placed in a 100-foot circle,
with a center monument featuring five bronze emblems -- one for each branch of
the Armed Services.
Half of the statues have already been built and paid for.
Twelve more need sponsorships and donations.
Preston Rudy, the spokesman for the organization, said
they hoped to have the first 12 statues deployed to the bottom of the sea by
now. But the weather has prevented them so far.
“In short, the waves have been too big,” Rudy told
Connecting Vets.
It’ll take another about $350,000 to complete Phase II --
the second set of 12 statues, Rudy said.
“We expect to reach that goal and have those statues
deployed in 2020,” he said.
Once the first 12 statues are installed, the group plans
to hold a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony, “officially opening the
attraction,” Rudy said. “We hope that will happen in June, but again we are
dependent on Mother Nature cooperating.”
For more information, or to sponsor a statue, go to www.vetmemorial.org or email jd@vetmemorial.org.
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