Circle of Honor, (sculpture)

Object Details

fabricator

American Monument Company

Bergen County Memorials

Save Outdoor Sculpture, New Jersey survey, 1995.

Image on file.

(On base of eternal flame:) I SOMETIMES THINK THAT NEVER BLOWS SO RED/THE ROSE AS WHERE SOME BURIED CAESAR BLED;/THAT EVERY HYACINTH THE GARDEN WEARS/DROPT IN ITS LAP FROM SOME ONCE LOVELY HEAD/OMAR KHAYYAM/BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMISSION/WOODY MATTHEWS CHAIRMAN/(first column of names) JOSEPH BARATTIA/DOMINICK BARBERA/PAUL BELAND/WALTER BRAY/MICHAEL BUCKLEY/ANTHONY D'ARMINIO/BOB JENKINS/(second column of names) HARRY KAZARIAN/JOHN RHATIGAN/PETER SARTHOU/MICHAEL SAWRUK/THEODORE STELTMANN/ALFRED THOMAS/ANDREW TORIGIAN/WITH ASSISTANCE FROM/WM. "PAT" SCHUBER WILLIAM D. McDOWELL/JACK TERHUNE ROBERT R. HERB/DEDICATED MAY 16, 1993

(On World War I stele:) VETERANS MEMORIAL/WORLD WAR I/1914 1918/IN FLANDERS FIELDS/IN FLANDERS FIELDS THE POPPIES/BLOW/BETWEEN THE CROSSES, ROW/ON ROW,/THAT MARK OUR PLACE AND/IN THE SKY/THE LARKS STILL BRAVELY/SINGING FLY,/SCARCE HEARD AMID THE/GUNS BELOW./WE ARE THE DEAD, SHORT/DAYS AGO/WE LIVED, FELT DAWN, SAW/SUNSET GLOW,/LOVED AND WERE LOVED,/AND NOW WE LIE/IN FLANDERS FIELDS.../COL. JOHN McCRAE

(On World War II stele:) VETERANS MEMORIAL/WORLD WAR II/1941 1945/"OUR SONS, PRIDE OF OUR NATION,/THIS DAY HAVE SET UPON A MIGHTY ENDEAVOR.../LEAD THEM STRAIGHT AND TRUE... THEIR ROAD/WILL BE LONG AND HARD... SOME WILL NEVER/RETURN... EMBRACE THEM FATHER.../AND RECEIVE THEM..."/PRESIDENT, FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

(On Korean War stele:) VETERANS MEMORIAL/KOREAN WAR/1950 1953/DEDICATED IN HONOR TO THOSE WHO GAVE/THEIR LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION/FOR GOD AND COUNTRY/THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD/AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD/AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM/NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN/AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN/AND IN THE MORNING/WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

(On Vietnam War stele:) VETERANS MEMORIAL/VIETNAM WAR/1961 1975/"I THINK YOU OUGHT TO KNOW, DEAR BROTHERS, ABOUT THE HARD TIME/WE WENT THROUGH IN ASIA, WE WERE REALLY CRUSHED AND OVERWHELMED/AND FEARED WE WOULD NEVER LIVE THROUGH IT. WE FELT WE WERE DOOMED/TO DIE AND SAW HOW POWERLESS WE WERE TO HELP OURSELVES; BUT THAT/WAS GOOD, FOR THEN WE PUT EVERYTHING INTO THE HANDS OF GOD---/WHO ALONE COULD SAVE US."/2 CORINTHIANS 1: 8-10

(On Beirut stele:) VETERANS MEMORIAL/BEIRUT/"AS I WEPT INSIDE, I ASKED, 'LORD, WHERE/DID WE GET SUCH MEN?' AND I WAS REMINDED/IF A NATION IS TO BE GREAT, IF A NATION/TRULY IS TO BE THE LAND OF THE FREE. THAT/IT ALSO MUST BE THE HOME OF THE BRAVE."/GENERAL - P. X. KELLEY/COMMANDANT - MARINE CORPS.

(On Desert Storm stele:) VETERANS MEMORIAL/DESERT STORM/AMERICAN VETERANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE REVERSAL OF A BRUTAL/AGGRESSION AND OCCUPATION OF SISTERLY KUWAIT./I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE/THEIR SUPPORT. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THIS MEMORIAL WILL FOREVER/PRESERVE THE NOBLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MANY MEN AND WOMEN/WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FOR THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM./BANDAR BIN SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ/AMBASSADOR-SAUDI ARABIA/TO THE-UNITED STATES

(On bottom right of airplane steles:) JENNY THUNDERBOLT FLYING FORTRESS SABRE HUEY STEALTH Founder's mark appears.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Summary

Six steles commemorating World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Beirut and Desert Storm, arch around a flagpole and eternal flame situated in a landscaped plot edged with curbing. The eternal flame is mounted on a block base with a sloping front, with quote from Omar Khayyam. The front of each stele contains an image, quote, and military insignia, flanked by a pair of engaged columns which support a projecting cornice. A fighter plane or helicopter associated with each conflict is depicted on the rear of the steles. Those depicted are, the Jenny, Flying Fortress, Thunderbolt, Sabre, Huey and Stealth.

The World War I stele depicts a rifle planted in the ground amidst flowers with a soldier's helmet and dog tags hanging from the rifle butt. Colonel John McCrae's poem, "In Flanders Fields" appears. The World War II stele contains an eagle with wings spread and claws open in a landing position and an excerpt from a speech given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Korean War stele shows a map of North and South Korea divided by the 38th parallel, and a poem. The Vietnam War stele depicts three soldiers wearing combat uniforms, one toting a machine gun on his shoulder and one carrying a rifle, superimposed on a map of Vietnam. A verse from 2 Corinthians 1: 8-10 appears below the image. The Beirut stele shows the backside of a soldier in uniform and helmet walking towards a cross and gravestones, as a peace dove with olive branch in mouth descends. Below this is a quote from General P. X. Kelley, Commandant of the Marine Corps. An American flag is shown on the Desert Storm stele above a quote from Bandar Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States. Each stele is mounted on a slab base with rough-hewn sides.

Dedicated May 16, 1993 or May 16, 1994

Control number

IAS NJ000460

Type

Sculptures-Outdoor Sculpture

Sculptures-Stele

Sculptures

Owner/Location

Located Court House Hackensack New Jersey

Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums

Topic

History--United States--World War I

History--United States--World War II

History--United States--Korean War

History--United States--Persian Gulf War

Religion--New Testament--Corinthians

Literature--McCrae--In Flanders Fields

Literature--Khayyam

Figure group--Male

Occupation--Military--Soldier

Dress--Uniform--Military Uniform

Dress--Accessory--Helmet

Object--Weapon--Gun

Object--Other--Flag

Object--Flower

Object--Foliage--Olive Branch

Object--Written Matter--Map

Architecture--Vehicle--Airplane

Landscape--Cemetery

Literature--Roosevelt

Animal--Bird--Eagle

Animal--Bird--Dove

Emblem--Cross

Emblem--Military Insignia

Record ID

siris_ari_336695

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