LITTLE ROCK—A huge “Stars and Stripes” sculpture will be the centerpiece of a new plaza at War Memorial Stadium to honor military veterans.
Ground work has begun at the stadium in the 202-acre park and the project will be completed for the stadium’s 60th anniversary observance Sept. 6, when the Arkansas Razorbacks play Louisiana-Monroe.
The stadium originally was dedicated Sept. 18, 1948, in honor of the 4,634 Arkansans who lost their lives during World War I and World War II.
Kathleen Caricof of Loveland, Colo., was chosen to create the artwork. Her sculpture will be 40-feet wide and 25-feet tall. Interlocking stainless steel stars will sit on top of five columns that represent the five branches of the military.
“We wanted something more than a flag and a plaque. We wanted something more than a monument,” said Gary Smith, chairman of War Memorial Stadium Commission.
The Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust awarded the commission’s fundraising arm $500,000 for the roughly $600,000 project. Private donations paid for the rest.
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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
