The Three Soldiers Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids The Three Soldiers
The Three Soldiers memorial
Location	National Mall Washington, D.C. United States
Established	1984
Governing body	National Park Service

The Three Soldiers

The Three Soldiers (also known as The Three Servicemen) is a bronze statue. It was created by the sculptor Frederick Hart. The statue was first shown on Veterans Day, November 11, 1984. You can find it on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. It is part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which honors those who served in the Vietnam War. This statue was special because it was the first time an African American was shown in a memorial on the National Mall.

History of the Statue

How the Statue Was Made

The main design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was a simple wall created by Maya Lin. Some people did not like her design. They wanted a more traditional memorial with statues of soldiers.

Because of these strong feelings, Frederick Hart was asked to create a sculpture. His job was to make a statue that would please those who wanted a more classic memorial. The statue was placed a bit away from the wall. This was done so it would not change Maya Lin's original design too much. Hart wanted his sculpture to show the feelings and experiences of the soldiers who served in Vietnam.

What the Statue Looks Like

The statue shows three soldiers standing together. They represent the main groups of people who fought in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. One soldier is European American (in the middle). Another is African American (on the right). The third is Latino American (on the left).

These three figures were based on six real young men. Two of them were active-duty Marines when the statue was being planned. The statue was made using a method called the lost wax technique. This was Hart's first big project using bronze.

The Artist's Message

Frederick Hart, the artist, explained what he wanted the statue to mean. He saw the memorial wall as a huge "sea of sacrifice." It has so many names that it is hard to understand. He placed the soldiers on the "shore of that sea." They are looking at the wall, watching over it, and showing the human side of the war.

The soldiers wear their uniforms and carry their equipment. They are young, which shows how sad it is that they had to fight. They stand close together, showing the strong bonds and love among soldiers in war. Even though they are together, each one also seems alone. Their strength and their weaknesses are both clear. Their true bravery comes from their loyalty to each other, even when they know the dangers.

The statue and the Wall seem to work together. The soldiers look at the names of their friends who died with respect. Jay Hall Carpenter, who helped Hart, said they moved a full-size model of the soldiers around the memorial. They found the perfect spot where the sculpture looked like it was watching over "a sea of the fallen."

Copies of the Statue

The design of The Three Soldiers is protected by copyright. Copies of the statue were sold on many items, like t-shirts, keychains, and snowglobes. Frederick Hart gave his share of the money to a group that helps families of veterans get name rubbings from the memorial.

A copy of the sculpture was made and placed in Apalachicola, Florida, on July 12, 2008.