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HISTORY OF THE SCHOFIELD MEMORIAL |
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The Schofield Memorial project was conceived by
the commanding officer of the 25th Infantry
Division and his staff while stationed in Afghanistan in 2004. MG Eric T. Olson sent word back
to Schofield Barracks that he wanted an appropriate memorial to honor the 25th’s Soldiers who
were killed in action while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. His staff indicated they wanted this
memorial completed by the time the elements of the Division returned from Afghanistan and
Iraq in June 2005.
MAJ Anthony San Nicholas was tasked with the job of designing the memorial, finding a sculptor
for the statues and a contractor for the base of the monument. In addition MAJ San Nicholas was
asked to find the funds needed for this project. This fund raising proved to be the most difficult
of his tasks. He quickly found that soliciting Soldiers and the general public by active duty personnel
was prohibited while on duty. MAJ San Nicholas went to the 25th Infantry Division Association’s
annual reunion in September of 2004 at Tucson, AZ to ask for assistance in raising funds. The
Association has a membership of over 4000 Veterans and active duty Soldiers that served with the
Division in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the current Global War on Terror (GWOT).
The leadership of the Association quickly saw the importance of the memorial to the returning
Soldiers, remembering that the return of Korean and Vietnam Veterans was met with indifference
and/or disrespect. It was agreed upon by a unanimousvote to donate $10,000.00 to get the project
started. The leadership also suggested that the concept of the memorial be expanded to include
honoring of the 25th’s other Soldiers from WWII, Korea and Vietnam. With the acceptance of
this concept by all parties, the Association agreed to take on the responsibility of fund raising for
the entire project. Tom Jones and Dave Garrod, both Vietnam Veterans and past officers
of the Association agreed to co-chair the memorial fund raising committee. In late November of
2004, Jones and Garrod traveled to Schofield Barracks to meet with a potential sculptor and
review concepts for the design of the memorial. Also included in these discussions was
GEN (R) Fred C. Weyand, who had taken the 25th ID to Vietnam in 1966.
Hawaiian artist Lynn Weiler Liverton, was chosen as the sculptor of the Monument. For Liverton,
designing and sculpting the monument provided insight into the world of today’s soldiers. “I knew
nothing about the Army whenI started this project,” she said. “I had to learn as I went. The soldiers
are now individuals to me.Each individual is fighting that battle; each individual is sacrificing
something.” SGT James R. Rivera who was back at Schofield recovering from wounds suffered
in Iraq was the model for the GWOT statue.
Butch Sincock, Executive Director of the Association speaking at the June 2005 dedication of the
first phase of the Monument (the GWOT Soldier statue and Soldier’s cross) said of the future
statues to be added: “Each will wear the uniform of his war and carry the infantry weapon of his
war, and each will proudly wear the Tropic Lightning patch on his shoulder.
“They will stand by the soldier we unveil today, for in every sense, today’s soldier does not stand
alone.”
Division and his staff while stationed in Afghanistan in 2004. MG Eric T. Olson sent word back
to Schofield Barracks that he wanted an appropriate memorial to honor the 25th’s Soldiers who
were killed in action while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. His staff indicated they wanted this
memorial completed by the time the elements of the Division returned from Afghanistan and
Iraq in June 2005.
MAJ Anthony San Nicholas was tasked with the job of designing the memorial, finding a sculptor
for the statues and a contractor for the base of the monument. In addition MAJ San Nicholas was
asked to find the funds needed for this project. This fund raising proved to be the most difficult
of his tasks. He quickly found that soliciting Soldiers and the general public by active duty personnel
was prohibited while on duty. MAJ San Nicholas went to the 25th Infantry Division Association’s
annual reunion in September of 2004 at Tucson, AZ to ask for assistance in raising funds. The
Association has a membership of over 4000 Veterans and active duty Soldiers that served with the
Division in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the current Global War on Terror (GWOT).
The leadership of the Association quickly saw the importance of the memorial to the returning
Soldiers, remembering that the return of Korean and Vietnam Veterans was met with indifference
and/or disrespect. It was agreed upon by a unanimousvote to donate $10,000.00 to get the project
started. The leadership also suggested that the concept of the memorial be expanded to include
honoring of the 25th’s other Soldiers from WWII, Korea and Vietnam. With the acceptance of
this concept by all parties, the Association agreed to take on the responsibility of fund raising for
the entire project. Tom Jones and Dave Garrod, both Vietnam Veterans and past officers
of the Association agreed to co-chair the memorial fund raising committee. In late November of
2004, Jones and Garrod traveled to Schofield Barracks to meet with a potential sculptor and
review concepts for the design of the memorial. Also included in these discussions was
GEN (R) Fred C. Weyand, who had taken the 25th ID to Vietnam in 1966.
Hawaiian artist Lynn Weiler Liverton, was chosen as the sculptor of the Monument. For Liverton,
designing and sculpting the monument provided insight into the world of today’s soldiers. “I knew
nothing about the Army whenI started this project,” she said. “I had to learn as I went. The soldiers
are now individuals to me.Each individual is fighting that battle; each individual is sacrificing
something.” SGT James R. Rivera who was back at Schofield recovering from wounds suffered
in Iraq was the model for the GWOT statue.
Butch Sincock, Executive Director of the Association speaking at the June 2005 dedication of the
first phase of the Monument (the GWOT Soldier statue and Soldier’s cross) said of the future
statues to be added: “Each will wear the uniform of his war and carry the infantry weapon of his
war, and each will proudly wear the Tropic Lightning patch on his shoulder.
“They will stand by the soldier we unveil today, for in every sense, today’s soldier does not stand
alone.”
Fund raising for the second phase of the
monument (the WWII, Korea and Vietnam statues) slowed
down in late 2005 after the dedication of the first phase. To jump start the fund raising, the committee
decided to sell engraved bricks to go into a courtyard adjacent to the Monument. It was discovered
that ceremonies for re-enlistment and promotions were being held at the Monument and that
a brick courtyard would be just the thing to accommodate this. The engraved brick sales really took
off and were probably inspired even more by an anonymous donor who stepped forward and
agreed to match any donations no matter what size up to $150,000.00. Several individual Veterans
honored the Soldiers killed in action (KIA) in their units by purchasing an engraved brick for each
KIA during that unit’s deployment or during the individual’s tour of duty.
Jones and Garrod went to Schofield in September 2006 prior to the Association’s annual reunion to
install the engraved bricks. Bernie Fuller, owner of South Pacific Builders had installed a concrete
base and black sand to lay the bricks in. This part of the courtyard construction was donated by
Bernie (labor and materials). Bernie’s company had built the base for and landscaped
around the first phase of the Monument. This donation was a thank you for that job and a tribute
to the Soldiers of the Division.
At a ceremony on 30 September 2006 during the Association’s 57th annual reunion, the completed
Schofield Memorial Monument was dedicated and the last three statues were unveiled.
Participating in this unveiling was Rodney Barrett, a WWII Veteran, Harry Davis, a Korean
Veteran and Ann Cunningham, a Vietnam Veteran nurse. Each unveiled the corresponding
statue from their era of warfare. Over 600 members and many Soldiers attended the ceremony.
In less than three years the Veterans and Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division were able to raise
the funds and complete the Monument. An unparalleled accomplishment in the history of the
Division and the Association.
down in late 2005 after the dedication of the first phase. To jump start the fund raising, the committee
decided to sell engraved bricks to go into a courtyard adjacent to the Monument. It was discovered
that ceremonies for re-enlistment and promotions were being held at the Monument and that
a brick courtyard would be just the thing to accommodate this. The engraved brick sales really took
off and were probably inspired even more by an anonymous donor who stepped forward and
agreed to match any donations no matter what size up to $150,000.00. Several individual Veterans
honored the Soldiers killed in action (KIA) in their units by purchasing an engraved brick for each
KIA during that unit’s deployment or during the individual’s tour of duty.
Jones and Garrod went to Schofield in September 2006 prior to the Association’s annual reunion to
install the engraved bricks. Bernie Fuller, owner of South Pacific Builders had installed a concrete
base and black sand to lay the bricks in. This part of the courtyard construction was donated by
Bernie (labor and materials). Bernie’s company had built the base for and landscaped
around the first phase of the Monument. This donation was a thank you for that job and a tribute
to the Soldiers of the Division.
At a ceremony on 30 September 2006 during the Association’s 57th annual reunion, the completed
Schofield Memorial Monument was dedicated and the last three statues were unveiled.
Participating in this unveiling was Rodney Barrett, a WWII Veteran, Harry Davis, a Korean
Veteran and Ann Cunningham, a Vietnam Veteran nurse. Each unveiled the corresponding
statue from their era of warfare. Over 600 members and many Soldiers attended the ceremony.
In less than three years the Veterans and Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division were able to raise
the funds and complete the Monument. An unparalleled accomplishment in the history of the
Division and the Association.
The Memorial Fund is now concentrating its’
efforts to fund raise additional monies to maintain
the Monument and perhaps construct a second, duplicate Monument on the grounds of the
National Museum of the US Army at Ft Belvoir. This would give Veterans, their family and
friends much easier access to see the Monument.
the Monument and perhaps construct a second, duplicate Monument on the grounds of the
National Museum of the US Army at Ft Belvoir. This would give Veterans, their family and
friends much easier access to see the Monument.