Florida IX

I had seen a number of pictures of this memorial and was desperate to find out where it was located. This is not always an easy task and took going down a number of dead ends before someone finally pointed me in the right direction. Even with the direction, I almost missed it.

If you were dropped into the middle of this place and it didn't have sidewalks, you might believe you were in 'Nam. The jungle like surroundings only make the memorial more meaningful.

The sculptor purposely made the chair representative of all lost and missing. He said that doing this makes it personal to each person who sees it. He says it "... is so non specific that it is specific.." we each bring our own memory we all know who is missing from our tables.

It reminds me a little of the P.O.W. table settings one often sees. Each element carries a particular meaning and this is true here, too.

The folded flag recalls the flag presented to the family at a military burial, the empty boots will never be worn again, and the dog tags, well, they say it all, "The cost of Freedom."

The memorial sits on the grounds of the Ormond Beach Memorial Art Museum and Gardens located at 78 E. Granada Blvd.

Next time, on the 15th, we will return to Idaho, so join me there at 9:00am. In the meantime, I will continue to work on getting Honor and Gratitude posted.

To see other memorials from Florida, or any other state, click on the state name on the left side of this page.