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Courtesy Las Vegas Veterans Memorial Association
A rendering of the Las Vegas Veterans Memorial designed by Douwe Blumberg.
By Dave Toplikar (contact) 
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010 | 2:49 p.m.
Sun archives
Beyond the Sun
Huntridge Circle Park
A sculptor's vision that shows soldiers from more modern times as well as soldiers from past conflicts is the winning concept for a Veteran's Memorial that will be constructed in Las Vegas.
"It's a salute to our country and to our veterans," Bill Marion, a representative of the Las Vegas Memorial Foundation, told the Las Vegas City Council today, referring to the work of Artist Douwe (pronounced "Dow") Blumberg.
The council was told there are no public funds being spent on the project. Although there is no definite timetable for when the project would be finished, Mayor Oscar Goodman said he would like to see it completed by Veteran's Day 2011.
"This is an awesome opportunity to highlight the conflict that we've been in and to certainly say thank you to the men and women who have served this country," said Councilman Steve Ross.
Mayor Pro-Tem Gary Reese praised members of the foundation for pushing through on the project.
"This is one of the nicest things we've gotten for Las Vegas," Reese said. "It is going to be a choice destination for people to go to, to just spend 15 minutes or 15 seconds to remember."
Blumberg's concept was picked among the four finalists from around the country who competed for the project, a world-class veterans memorial to be constructed at Huntridge Circle Park on Maryland Parkway near Charleston Boulevard.
Blumberg presented a monument with a central scene of soldiers in a modern-day battle surrounded by veterans of other eras. Each of Blumberg’s statues are 125 percent life size. The design also incorporated granite walls with quotations.
Blumberg's work was approved by the selection committee and then was submitted to the Las Vegas Arts Commission, which unanimously approved the selection, Marion said.
Blumberg, from the University of Southern California's Idyllwild's School of the Arts and Music, has more than 200 private and public commissions, Marion said.
"He designed the U.S. Army's Special Forces Monument, the New Jersey Fallen Soldiers Monument and he was a finalist for the Ground Zero Project commemorating 9-11 in New York," Marion said.
"His design has haunting sculptures that are designed in a stainless steel, representing American military involvement in every American conflict," Marion said.
The design portrays not only how the war impacts veterans, but on how it impacts their families, he said.
"In Douwe's own words," Marion said, "'The American veterans experience remains fundamentally unchanged from Bunker Hill to Fulusia. Their dedication and sacrifice shared by their loved ones form the very pages upon which our country's history has and will be written. Love of country, family, honor and the brotherhood of arms are the passionate codes binding together all generations of soldiers together through time. The dual overarching themes of this monument are the continuity of dedication and sacrifice through time and the debt of gratitude owed to all generations of American veterans and their families.'"
Can we see an overview picture that includes the busy roadway and neighborhood surrounding the park?
Show a realistic image of the final result.
I like the concept. It reminds me of the Korean Conflict memorial in D.C.
As an aside, as much as I am moved by The Wall (having served in the Navy at that time), I think I would have to say the Korean memorial is the most stunning memorial I have seen. I was once fortunate enough to see it as a morning fog was just starting to lift.
Glad to see this finally coming together.
Hopefully when it is complete the people in the area will take more pride and preserve it.
As bad as I hate to say it security cameras really should be installed to protect all the work and money going into this project.
Blind pause-- for I did stop, to draw breath; and with-- Stand, truth... beautiful more depth to the city everyday
I would actually donate to see this built. And I too hope security is in place to prevent vandalism. I hope that is seriously considered.
"A veteran - whether active duty, retired, National Guard or Reserve - is someone who at one point in his or her life wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount of 'up to and including my life." -Unknown
That is honor. There are far too many people in this country who don't understand it. If you want to argue that, then you are only exposing yourself as one who does not understand the honor and pride in defending all the freedoms, privileges, safety and success this country has to offer.
I support all veterans (my father served in the "Silent Service" for 22 years) but I have to question the wisdom of this expenditure during a time of economic downturn. Why not wait to erect the memorial until Las Vegas is prosperous again?
LVLady1,
This is all being built by donations, no tax payer money involved.
Only those that want to give are involved.
Look at it this way, those donating will be helping provide more jobs for a while.