COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A squad of 7-foot (2.1-meter) infantrymen cast in bronze for an anti-terrorism memorial will be delivered to a Georgia museum this week by the central Ohio sculptor who created the statues.
Army veteran Alan Cottrill and a team of artists spent more than a year making the nine soldiers for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial, reported the Columbus Dispatch. The memorial is scheduled to be dedicated later this month at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia, near Fort Benning.
Each of the 750-pound (340-kilogram) statues depicts how post-Sept. 11 U.S. combat soldiers look, including details of their uniforms and weapons. Retired Col. Greg Camp, who is the museum's president, said he believes the incredible details will make a difference for soldiers visiting the memorial.
"They'll be able to say to their family, 'This is what I wore - I had this scope, this body armor. You'll never guess how heavy it is.'" said Camp. "These represent the embodiment of them. The statues bring the memorial to life."
The pieces also convey layers of human emotion that engage viewers, said Cottrill.
"There's an intensity but a vulnerability. A toughness but an 'afraid-ness.' That all has to be there," said Cottrill.
The statues will be flanked by granite panels that feature etchings of the names of people who have died in the war on terrorism and illustrations of each service.
"I can feel the emotion, and I hope viewers can, too," said Cottrill.
The Zanesville, Ohio sculptor will install the statues Tuesday.