Kentucky Medal of Honor Memorial sculpture by Doyle Glass bronze sculptor "All about"

The Kentucky Medal of Honor Memorial was dedicated on November 12, 2001 in Louisville, Kentucky. The Memorial honors 56 recipients of the Medal of Honor from Kentucky. The Medal of Honor is our nation's highest decoration for battlefield valor. The monument features a six foot statue of John Squires, a recipient of the Medal of Honor from Louisville. The statue was sculpted by Doyle Glass.

Medal of Honor bronze monument by sculptor Doyle Glass

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The Commonwealth’s Only Medal of Honor Memorial

Kentucky’s Medal of Honor Memorial will recognize 56 Kentuckians and persons born outside of the U.S. who entered military service in Kentucky who have received the Medal of Honor, America’s highest honor for combat bravery

It is the only memorial in Kentucky honoring the Commonwealth’s Medal of Honor recipients, and the only state memorial of its kind in the U.S.
Of the millions of U.S. military personnel who have served since the Medal of Honor was created in 1861, only 3,436 have received a total of 3,455 medals presented (19 individuals received two medals). Today there are 152 living Medal of Honor recipients, including seven Kentuckians.
The memorial features a six-foot bronze cast statue of Sgt. John C. Squires, a native Louisvillian who was the first Kentuckian to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II. Squires died during military action in Italy about a month after the act for which he received the Medal of Honor.
The life-size statue of Squires is mounted on a four-foot limestone base covered with granite veneer. The names of 56 Kentuckians who have received the Medal of Honor are inscribed on the base, along with a brief biography of Squires. Benefactors who contributed $1,000 or more to the memorial also are listed on the base.
The memorial will stand on a paved semi-circular alcove off the Jefferson Street sidewalk in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse. Waterproof lights with tempered glass covers will be embedded in the pavement to illuminate the monument. Low-rise perennials will be planted along the outside edge of the paved alcove.
In late 2000, Jefferson County A District Commissioner Russ Maple, who served in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, volunteered to chair efforts to raise the $75,000 to develop the Kentucky Medal of Honor Memorial. Maple was instrumental in securing a permanent location for the memorial on the Jefferson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Louisville.
Doyle Glass, a Midland, Texas native transplanted in Louisville, sculpted the statue of Squires and conceptualized the Kentucky Memorial. Inspired by the motion picture “Saving Private Ryan,” Glass researched Kentuckians who had received the Medal of Honor during World War II. After reading Squires’ Medal of Honor citation and meeting Squires’ family, he created a prototype statue from which the memorial was made.
In addition to fundraising, Maple also formed a committee to develop the memorial and plan its unveiling and dedication ceremony.
To research, confirm and finalize the list of Kentucky Medal of Honor recipients: Col. (retired) Larry L. Arnett, a military historian and author Bill Bright, Kentucky Military Museum curator
To finalize the sculpture and create the finished memorial: Eric Anderson, Jefferson County Facilities Management architect
Jep Bright, Bright Foundry
Sculptor Doyle Glass
Terry Joy, Muldoon Memorials
To dedicate and unveil the monument:
Brian Duffy, Kentucky VFW News editor
Maj. Ron Turner, Kentucky National Guard
To establish a tax-deductible fundraising mechanism and receive donations: Anne Monell, The Community Foundation of Louisville
Maple will host the memorial’s unveiling and dedication on Monday, November 12, 2001, beginning at 11 a.m. on the Jefferson County Courthouse lawn.
Kentucky’s seven living Medal of Honor recipients and members of Squires’ family are invited to attend the ceremony as Maple’s special guests. Veterans groups from across the Commonwealth will participate in the massing of colors. The Kentucky National Guard is providing a military band, arranging for a fly-over formation and other honors appropriate for Medal of Honor recipients.
Col. (retired) Larry L. Arnett, the author and military historian who helped determine the list of Kentucky’s Medal of Honor recipients, will deliver the dedication address.

LINKS

Marine Corps Medal of Honor Citations:

Full text listing for all Medal of Honor citations

"Hall of Heroes"

National WWII Memorial

Texas Medal of Honor Memorial sculpture by Doyle Glass Bronze Medal of Honor Sculpture by Doyle Glass

Read about the Lions of Medina Viet Nam War Heroes