American Legion to unveil sculpture honoring fallen heroes

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Jul 25, 2012, 08:20 ET

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Legion will unveil a sculpture by Greg Wyatt, "Angel and the Dying Unknown," at a 2 p.m. ceremony today, July 25, in the lobby of its office at 1608 K St. NW.

Created as a tribute to the bravery and ultimate sacrifices of America's men and women who have served in uniform, the 7-foot-tall cast-bronze sculpture features a guardian angel cradling a dying unknown soldier.

Wyatt's work will remain in the Legion office's lobby for about three months; then it travels to Delaware for what is hoped to be a permanent home at Dover Air Force Base. "The American Legion is proud to have this sculpture -- a tribute to our fallen heroes -- on temporary display at our Washington office," said Fang A. Wong, the Legion's national commander. "And we are most pleased to host the unveiling event for Greg Wyatt, and enjoy his fine work of art, if only for a short time."

Wyatt's sculpture was recently displayed at Fort Monroe, Va., and the Rayburn House Office Building. "Angel and the Dying Unknown" is the fourth in a series of sculptures on permanent display at Arlington National Cemetery and West Point Museum.

Wyatt is a native of Grand View-on-Hudson, N.Y. His father, William Stanley Wyatt, was a painter and fine arts professor at Columbia University.

The American Legion was founded on the four pillars of a strong national defense, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

SOURCE The American Legion