The Three Soldiers (also known as
The Three Servicemen) is a
bronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon. It was particularly significant in antiquity, giving its name to the Bronze Age...
statueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
on the Washington, DC
National MallThe National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service, and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
commemorating the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. The grouping consists of three young men, armed and dressed appropriately for the Vietnam War era, purposely identifiable as
CaucasianThe term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the indigenous populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia...
,
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
, and
HispanicHispanic is a term that historically denoted a relationship to the ancient Hispania . During the modern era, it took on a more limited meaning, relating to the contemporary nation of Spain....
. It was designed to complement the
Vietnam Veterans MemorialThe Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national war memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War and who died in service or are still unaccounted for....
, by adding a more traditional component. The statue, unveiled on
Veterans DayVeterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11. However, if it occurs on a Sunday then the following Monday is designated for holiday leave, and if it occurs Saturday then either...
, 1984, was designed by
Frederick HartFrederick Hart was an American sculptor, best known for his public monuments and works of art in bronze, marble, and clear acrylic .-Biography:...
, who placed third in the original design competition.
Of the memorial, the architect has suggested,
I see the wall as a kind of ocean, a sea of sacrifice that is overwhelming and nearly incomprehensible in the sweep of names.
The Three Soldiers (also known as
The Three Servicemen) is a
bronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon. It was particularly significant in antiquity, giving its name to the Bronze Age...
statueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
on the Washington, DC
National MallThe National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service, and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
commemorating the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. The grouping consists of three young men, armed and dressed appropriately for the Vietnam War era, purposely identifiable as
CaucasianThe term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the indigenous populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia...
,
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
, and
HispanicHispanic is a term that historically denoted a relationship to the ancient Hispania . During the modern era, it took on a more limited meaning, relating to the contemporary nation of Spain....
. It was designed to complement the
Vietnam Veterans MemorialThe Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national war memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War and who died in service or are still unaccounted for....
, by adding a more traditional component. The statue, unveiled on
Veterans DayVeterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11. However, if it occurs on a Sunday then the following Monday is designated for holiday leave, and if it occurs Saturday then either...
, 1984, was designed by
Frederick HartFrederick Hart was an American sculptor, best known for his public monuments and works of art in bronze, marble, and clear acrylic .-Biography:...
, who placed third in the original design competition.
Artist's intent
Of the memorial, the architect has suggested,
I see the wall as a kind of ocean, a sea of sacrifice that is overwhelming and nearly incomprehensible in the sweep of names. I place these figures upon the shore of that sea, gazing upon it, standing vigil before it, reflecting the human face of it, the human heart.
The portrayal of the figures is consistent with history. They wear the uniform and carry the equipment of war; they are young. The contrast between the innocence of their youth and the weapons of war underscores the poignancy of their sacrifice. There is about them the physical contact and sense of unity that bespeaks the bonds of love and sacrifice that is the nature of men at war. And yet they are each alone. Their strength and their vulnerability are both evident. Their true heroism lies in these bonds of loyalty in the face of their awareness and their vulnerability.
The statue and the Wall appear to interact with each other, with the soldiers looking on in solemn tribute at the names of their fallen comrades. Noted sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter, Hart's assistant on the project, explains the sculpture was positioned especially for that effect: "We carried a full-size mockup of the soldiers around the memorial site trying many locations until we hit upon the perfect spot. It was here that the sculpture appeared to be looking over a sea of the fallen."
Controversies
There were two key controversies involving this element of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; one was the design controversy which led to the commissioning of this piece, and the other involved copyright, allegations of profiteering, and the POW-MIA issue.
Creation and installation
Negative reactions to
Maya LinMaya Ying Lin is an American artist and architect who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. Her best-known work is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Personal life:...
's initial design for the Memorial wall standing alone were so strong that several Congressmen complained, and
Secretary of the InteriorThe United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
James G. WattJames Gaius Watt served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1983.-Early career:...
refused to issue a building permit. Hart's sculpture was commissioned to accompany the wall as a compromise measure to appease those who wanted a more traditional approach. Lin was furious at the idea of adulteration of her design and the resulting work was designed to stand away from the memorial wall at a distance so as to minimize the impact on her design. Still, Lin refused to attend the dedication of the sculpture.
Copyright and profiteering
The design of
The Three Soldiers was copyrighted by Hart and the VVMF. Reproductions were sold on many pieces of memorabilia, including t-shirts,
keychainA keychain or key chain is a small chain, usually made from metal or plastic, that connects a small item to a keyring. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring...
s, and snowglobes. Hart donated his share of the profits to a non-profit which provides name
rubbingA rubbing is a reproduction of the texture of a surface created by placing a piece of paper or similar material over the subject and then rubbing the paper with something to deposit marks, most commonly charcoal or pencil, but also various forms of blotted and rolled ink, chalk, wax, and many other...
s to families of veterans.
An organization called Homecoming II, which was headed by Ted Sampley, a POW-MIA activist, received a permit to hold POW vigils on the National Mall near the memorial. This vigil outpost sold numerous pieces of merchandise bearing depictions of
The Three Soldiers as well as selling and giving away literature relating to the
Vietnam War POW/MIA issueThe Vietnam War POW/MIA issue concerns the fate of United States servicemen who were reported as missing in action during the Vietnam War and associated theaters of operation in Southeast Asia. Following the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, 591 U.S. prisoners of war were returned during Operation...
. Hart saw this as profiteering by Sampley and asked him to stop. When Sampley refused, Hart asked that Sampley enter into a licensing agreement. When Sampley refused this, Hart and the VVMF threatened legal action.
Hart and the VVMF sued for infringement, winning a $359,442 judgment. During court proceedings, it was revealed that while Homecoming II was a nonprofit staffed by volunteer labor, all of their memorabilia was purchased from companies controlled by Sampley. Reported earnings for the t-shirt operation were nearly $2 million over three years. Sampley avoided paying the judgement by closing Homecoming II and Red Hawk, the company which manufactured the t-shirts.
Replica
A replica of the sculpture was created and was placed and dedicated on July 12, 2008 in
Apalachicola, FloridaApalachicola is a city in Franklin County, Florida on US 98 about 80 miles southwest of Tallahassee. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimates gave the city at 2,340...
.
External links
- The Merry Prankster, chapter 12 of Prisoners of Hope by Susan Katz Keating, describing actions by Ted Sampley
- History of the Wall at aiipowmia.com, a group involved with the POW-MIA controversy.