Friday, Sept. 13, will see the unveiling of a new piece of art of the National World War I Memorial, “A Soldier’s Journey.” The bronze panel sculpture is 58 feet long and features 38 full-sized figures.
It tells the story of a WWI soldier heading on an epic journey. He leaves from home, travels through the horrors of battle and in the end, returns to his family. The artist, Sabin Howard, said he sees this sculpture as a “movie in bronze,” not just the soldier’s external battle but the internal scars of war.
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Howard used actual veterans as models, capturing their raw emotions and the shell shock. He said that while the sculpture honors the 116,000 U.S. soldiers who died in the first world war, and is a universal story that modern day veterans will recognize as their own.
Over 700 hours were spent crafting the intricate details of the new addition to the memorial, with over 12,000 photos of models in uniform. The new $44 million memorial is located in Pershing Park across from the White House Visitor Center.
Starting Friday, the public will have the chance to see the tribute up close, in the heart of the nation’s capital.