Neil Logan, the creator of the sculpture which is the centerpiece of our Sunup Rotary Club's All Vets Memorial, situated on the west side of the Yavapai County Courthouse, recently shared with the club the background behind it. The dramatic and realistic sculpture depicts a medic, holding an injured soldier, as he beckons in the MediVac helicoptor to pick them up and to fly them to the nearest medical treatment center. Neil, a combat veteran himself, told us his brother had been a highly decorated pilot flying these dangerous missions during the Vietnam War, and had been shot down four times. To the surprise of many of us, Neil related the enormous political difficulties our local veterans faced in gaining the necessary permission to place the sculpture on the Courthouse Square. On behalf of those veterans, he profusely thanked our Rotary club for having made this memorial such an attractive and respectful centerpiece in its current location, and for our work each year in continuing to maintain this memorial. It was noted that special credit goes to our member John Stewart for his committed leadership of this high priority annual club project. Prescott Mayor Phil Goode related to us the background of the bronze memorial plaque part of the memorial, which bears the names of all of Prescott's military heroes whose lives have been lost over the years, defending our country and the freedoms we enjoy as the result of their sacrifice. The plaque has been updated once; and he said it will need to be updated again, at some point, to add the names of others who have since lost their lives serving our country. Phil also told us of the time when he personally shielded the memorial placque with his body when it was about to be defaced by demonstrators who invaded Prescott. |