The Medic Silent Salute statue is now in place. A dedication ceremony was held May 22nd at 3:00 at the Veteran’s Memorial Park and Museum. Keynote speaker was Col Laura Ludwig, U.S. Army, ret.
We all thank Neighborhood National Bank, the 125 Tavern, and the Ogilvie Lions for their support to make this happen.
Learn about the sculpture, artist, and what inspired the creation.
Below is a four-minute video that highlights the journey of creating my life-size bronze sculpture, “Fields of Red,” starting from the initial concept drawing all the way to the completed bronze sculpture.
The inspiration for the bronze sculpture comes from the famous poem “In Flanders Field,” written by John McRae in 1915 after he observed red poppies blooming amidst the bloody battlefields during WWI near Ypres, Belgium. The poppies sway in the wind amongst the fallen soldiers.
Moina Michael (1869–1944), known as “The Poppy Lady,” established the red poppy as a universal symbol of remembrance for World War I fallen soldiers. Inspired by McCrae’s poem she pledged to wear the flower, championed its adoption by the American Legion (1920), and pioneered selling artificial poppies to support disabled veterans.
My sculpture pulls from the long history and the symbolism of the poppy as a remembrance flower. Poppies grew wild on the bloody battlefields in Flanders. They stand for hope and for remembrance of the dead.
The life size bronze sculpture of a female U.S. Army medic kneels with quiet grace. She clutches a folded American flag tight to her chest in one hand. With the other, she places a single poppy on the ground by a fallen soldier. Her pose captures a moment of deep respect. The sculpture’s serene expression and closed eyes enhance the reflective mood of the piece. She honors him in silence, preserving his memory eternally in bronze.
Fields of Red incorporates the key principles of quality art; form, color and balance. The use of a female soldier as the subject adds a unique perspective to the traditional representation of war heroes and military art. The memorial poppy held in her right hand serves as a powerful symbol of remembrance for those who have died in service.
This sculpture brings the remembrance poppy to life with a sense of permanence as a bronze sculpture. It imagines fields full of poppies blooming in the midst of bloody battlefields. The permanent bronze sculpture echoes the poppies endurance as symbol of remembrance.
Fields of Red invites you to pause and reflect. It ties the poem’s sad beauty to art’s power. Poppies remind us of sacrifice. They bloom year after year.