Korean-Vietnam Memorial, (sculpture).

Korean-Vietnam Memorial, (sculpture).

Corbin, Tom, sculptor.

Clark, Robert, designer.

Smith, Bill, designer.

Corbin Bronze, Ltd., founder.

Deggingers Foundry, founder.

Schlup, Becker, Brennan, architectural firm.

Korean-Vietnam Memorial, (sculpture).

1988. Copyrighted 1988. Dedicated Nov. 11, 1988. Eagle installed: Oct. 2001.

Soldiers: bronze; Bases: concrete; Back wall and plaza foundation: granite or marble; Eagle: bronze; Base: granite.

Korean soldier: approx. 74 1/1 x 26 x 15 in.; Vietnam soldier: approx. 73 1/2 x 35 x 12 in.; Bases, each: approx. 18 x 48 x 49 in.; Eagle: approx. 35 x 42 3/4 x 12 1/2 in.; Base: approx. 5 in. x 24 1/8 x 24 1/8 in.

(Korean soldier base, lower right:) Tom Corbin 88 (Vietnam soldier self base, on back top, incised:) Tom Corbin/88 Degginger Foundry (Top plaque on back wall: WYANDOTTE COUNTY MEMORIAM/TO THOSE WHO GAVE ALL (Lower plaque give committee members and 2 plaques list 111 names of Wyandotte County soldiers who lost their lives in the two wars) (On eagle:) Tom Corbin / 10/40 signed Founder's mark appears.

A Korean and Vietnam war memorial comprised of two soliders, set in plaza setting with curved wall behind them and five flagpoles in front. The Korean soldier is on the right. He is dressed in uniform, with helmet and boots, and carries a carbine rifle slung over his proper right shoulder. Both hands are holding the gun strap. The Vietnam soldier is on the left, dressed in combat fatigues, a hat, and a web belt with hanging canteen and first aid kit. He stands holding the barrel of a rifle with his proper right hand, held over his proper right shoulder. Perched on a pedestal along the curved wall surrounding the figures, there is a bronze sculpture of an eagle with its wings spread atop a small white granite base.

History -- United States -- Korean War

History -- United States -- Vietnam War

Figure male -- Full length

Occupation -- Military -- Soldier

Dress -- Uniform -- Military Uniform

Animal -- Bird -- Eagle

Outdoor Sculpture -- Kansas -- Kansas City

Administered by Wyandotte County Parks Department, 3488 West Drive, Kansas City, Kansas 66109

Located Wyandotte County Park, Kansas City, Kansas

The $80,000 memorial honors the soldiers from Wyandotte County who gave their lives in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Planning for the memorial took nearly 3 years. County Commissioner Pat Scherzer, a Vietnam veteran, helped raise the first $30,000 towards the cost of the memorial by participating in a boxing match with former professional boxer Tony Chiaverini. The memorial design is credited to Robert Clark; the original illustration was done by Bill Smith. The soldiers were created by Tom Corbin, of Corbin Bronze. Area labor unions donated over 1,000 hours of labor for the project. The marble for the memorial cost around $11,000; lighting was about $6,000 and Corbin was paid $40,000 for the two soldiers. IAS files contain transcriptions of wall plaques and related clipping from Wyandotte West (Kansas City, KS), Nov. 10, 1988.

The eagle sculpture, which was copyrighted in 1986, was installed on the memorial in Oct. 2001. The title of the eagle sculpture is "Wings of Freedom."

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Kansas survey, 1995.

Kansas City Adopt A Monument, 2002.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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