"I am a big supporter of the initiative to see this thing monument-sized..."
Maj. Gen. Geoffrey C. Lambert, commander, U.S. Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School.
"This is an important piece... tracing a unique thread through our history from Paul Revere, right up through Enduring Freedom."
Stephen S. Beitler, LTC, U.S. Army Special Forces, retired. Board member Warrior Foundation
The U.S. Special Forces Monument
The American unconventional warrior is legendary. Our first lessons of the Revolution show how "irregulars" often confounded conventional European forces. Over time, this lesson was forgotten, it was felt that the unconventional warrior was unnecessary... a thing of the past. It was believed that "smart bombs" and computers had replaced versatile men on the ground. Time has demonstrated the folly of that. Now these forces comprise one of our most valuable, versatile and unique military assets. It is ironic that, that this new millennium, should begin with American soldiers once again astride horses, pursuing an elusive enemy.
U.S. Army Special Forces - the "Green Berets" - never forgot their antecedents and epitomize the courage and flexibility of the American warrior whether on horseback in Afghanistan, riding elephants in the jungles of the China-Burma-India Theater in World War II, dropping 20,000 feet at night into Vietnam, or skiing across the borders of the Iron Curtain.
For over fifty years, from Vietnam through "Iraqi Freedom" our elite soldiers have performed the most dangerous, sensitive and challenging missions worldwide. With little fanfare or recognition, often misrepresented or misunderstood, these unsung heroes commit thier lives and the well-being of their families to us.
The Monument
During the winter of 2001/2002, U.S. Special fought their way through the desolate mountains of Northern Afghanistan... on horseback... During the days they fought the Taliban, during the nights they cared for sick and injured villagers wherever they were. Their small teams cleared areas in thirty days that the soviet army failed to clear in ten years of occupation...
Their remarkable performance in the Global War on Terror is only the latest in half a century of legendary achievements that cry out for worthy public recognition and honor by a country that owes them so much.
This particular sculpture was chosen for many reasons. Most importantly to us, it was created in close cooperation with the Special Forces community, and finds great support there. Of almost equal consideration is the fact that this piece, even in small scale, stirs patriotism and fervent support wherever seen. It uses the quintessential American image of a mounted warrior to portray the unique capabilities, courage and spirit of these heroes. This image weaves a thread of continuity, for the viewer, through our nationŐs history, connecting our cultural heritage, from Paul Revere through today. It preserves an important moment in history in a unique and inspirational way, while accurately portraying our modern Special Forces in action.
an unforgettable experience for all generations!
The Initiative
The Foundation for U.S. Historical Monuments, is the result of a grass-roots movement to create the nationŐs first publically accessible monument to our U.S. Army Special Forces. The budget provides for two castings in life-and-a-half scale. One to be gifted, (upon successful negotiations with the Army), to the Special Forces home at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Ft. Bragg ,NC. A most fitting site, this gift from a grateful people, will allow graduating "Green Berets" to find inspiration in their nationŐs gratitude. The purpose of the second casting is to allow Americans and their children to publically honor these elite warriors and to remember the courage, dedication and sacrifice freely given by our armed forces for the protection and preservation of our freedoms. To that end, the second casting will be gifted to an appropriate high-visibility public site, as yet un-chosen.The plan calls for project to be divided into three phases, each to coincide with a fundraising target goal.
This project is estimated to take 18 to 24 months from the beginning of work to completion. The sculpting and final assembly will take place at the artist's studio in Kentucky. For our major donors, the Foundation plans to hold a "pre-cast" unveiling , artist's talk and reception at the studio mid project, date TBA.This foundation has one purpose, to get the job done... We are everyday Americans and value each dollar donated. We are dedicated to staying lean and efficient so to maximize the percentage of each dollar actually building this monument. There will be no fancy board dinners or overly slick materials, but you will find passion, quality and integrity.current on all project news!!.
To me, this piece has meaning on many levels. First and foremost, it captures a fascinating moment in our history, the first American soldiers to ride into combat in half a century. When I first saw photos of this, I was struck by the visual irony of a 21st century high tech warrior mounted on an ancient Afghan mountain horse, two different worlds coming together to strive for a common goal, freedom from oppression. I then also see the symbolism in the western, high-tech culture working symbiotically with an ancient eastern one, showing that east and west can cooperate and both have things to offer the other.The members of the Special Forces A team I worked with arrived in Afghanistan very early in the Enduring Freedom campaign, with no knowledge they would be riding horses into combat. None had riding experience save their Captain. Undaunted, they spent the next thirty days in the saddle fighting with our Northern Alliance "partners" in the rugged, isolated, mountains of northern Afghanistan, relentlessly pursing Taliban forces. Joined by other rebel groups, this unique force numbered almost 2,000 mounted soldiers when this particular campaign ended with the liberation of the northern city, Mazar-e Sharif. According to their Captain, "It looked like something out of Lawrence of Arabia".
Having been a professional horse trainer for 18 years made the research of the Afghan horses fairly straightforward. In this part of the world there are no "breeds" per se, though there are a few distinct "types". The horse depicted in this piece would be described as a "Lokai" (an eastern based breed) with a heavy "Tersk" influence. The Tersk blood was introduced into the area by the Soviets in an effort to "improve" local stock and is basically an Arabic based breed. The Lokai is a breed which came to the area with its tribal breeders centuries ago. Due to cultural intricacies, only stallions are ridden in war. This stallion stands 15.2 "hands" (there being 4 inches to a hand), and though it is rather unkempt, it is none the less a magnificent animal. The tack portrayed in the piece is very traditional, though there is a wide variety of tack in such a diverse area. The tasseled breast collar keeps the flies off the chest and legs.The research of the soldier proved to be more of a challenge. After much study, I felt confident I had a good feel for what the Special Forces soldier would look like on a mission of this nature. Respecting the historical importance of the piece, I felt accuracy was an integral part of the sculpture, yet preserving my artistic vision. Fortunately I was invited to visit Ft. Campbell, KY and meet with the members of 5th Special Forces Group ODA-595, who had just returned from riding in the winter campaign. They shared with me photos from the campaign, equipment, even some horse tack they had brought back (in a rubber bag, it was so smelly!!). During the meeting, it became clear that the soldier as sculpted was completely inaccurate. The required changes necessitated a six week resculpt, but was well worth the effort. I cannot thank the leadership and soldiers of 5th Special Forces Group, ODA-595 enough for their willingness to help ensure the accuracy of this sculpture.
The foundation has decided to raise funds to produce this piece in life-and-a-half scale. I am very pleased by this decision because I feel this is the perfect size for an outdoor sculpture. It has continually amazed me how dramatically a three dimensional object visually shrinks when placed outside. This piece at 18 inches has excited people, at 16 feet the impact should be stunning. I believe it will be a uniquely stimulating and inspirational monument, one that the public will easily relate to. My studio is estimating the work to take approximately 18 to 24 months. This piece, in this scale, will be very challenging, both artistically and structurally, we can't wait to begin!
