For Immediate Release

Contact: Jimmy Mosconis (850) 653-9294

 

National Veterans Memorial Dedicated July 12 in Apalachicola

The dedication ceremony for a regional Veterans memorial park in Apalachicola will be held July 12, 2008. The culmination of a seven year million dollar effort will feature a bronze partial replica sculpture of the Three Servicemen Statue - the original of which stands on the National Mall in Washington's Constitution Gardens. When officially complete, the park will be managed by the Florida State Park system and is expected to draw thousands of visitors annually from across the region.

The July 12 dedication ceremony will be held at Apalachicola's newly completed Veterans Memorial Plaza, a City-owned park complete with memorial brick pavers dedicated to veterans of all walks of the military. The dedication event is scheduled for 10:30  a.m. and will feature Vietnam Veteran Memorial founder Jan Scruggs, and an exhibition of Vietnam-era "Huey" helicopters from Dothan, Alabama.

The focal point of the Apalachicola-based memorial and the dedication ceremony is the statue itself. Known as the Three Soldiers Detail, the memorial was designed by the late Frederick Hart, a renowned American sculptor, as a tribute to Vietnam veterans.  Apalachicola is the only city in the US, other than Washington, to feature a partial replica of the bronze sculpture. The sculpture depicts a realistic image of Vietnam servicemen, and is a symbol of their courage and devotion to their country. The three men represent various ethnic backgrounds.

 

Three Servicemen Statue South, Inc. is a non-profit organization that obtained permission from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) and the estate of Frederick Hart more than seven years ago to bring a bronze sculpture of the famed Three Servicemen Statue to Apalachicola, Florida.  The Three Servicemen Statue South, Inc.'s founder and President is Jimmy Mosconis, an Apalachicola native and decorated Vietnam Veteran who once served with VVMF founder Jan Scruggs.  The memorial has been funded through private donations. The public is invited to attend this dedication, which is Apalachicola's home-grown tribute to the men and women who went off to war from the many towns and hamlets throughout the southeastern United States. For more information about the dedication ceremony or the Three Servicemen Statue South effort, please visit www.threeservicemenstatuesouth.org.