| Florida
Medal of Honor winner takes shape in Bethel
sculptor's studio |
| Alison
Aloisio |
On June 24, 1951,
Army Pfc. Emory Bennett, 21, of Cocoa Beach, Fla.,
was killed near Sobangsan, Korea.
Bennett gave his life to allow other members of
his company to safely retreat from an enemy
attack. He was posthumously awarded the
Congressional Medal of Honor.
In the words of the Medal of Honor citation, “Upon
orders to move back, Pfc. Bennett voluntarily
remained to provide covering fire for the
withdrawing elements, and, defying the enemy,
continued to sweep the charging foe with
devastating fire until mortally wounded.”
Fifty-five years later, two Korean veterans from
Bethel are helping sculptor Tom White memorialize
Bennett.
A statue for the park
For the past several years, Bennett’s brother,
John, has been part of an effort to raise money to
create a statue of the war hero, and place it in
Cocoa Riverfront Park. The park is located near
where Bennett lived as a boy.
The $60,000 project is the result of a petition
drive that drew strong support from Cocoa Beach
residents. The city itself has donated $25,000.
Two years ago, the Bennett family found White on
the Internet. Eighty-three-year-old John, said
White, “has been waiting to do a memorial for
years.”
White provided him with examples of his sculpting,
which include a variety of pieces displayed in
public settings. Some of the subjects are
religious figures, American Indians and
gladiators. White said he particularly likes to
depict warriors.
The Bennetts were satisfied they had found their
sculptor, and in September, White began work on
the life size clay figure.
Bennett’s statue, he said, “is the first war
soldier I’ve done.”
Vets lend knowledge
White has been working from photos of Bennett
provided by the family. The soldier’s pose
mirrors a photo taken of him during an off-duty
moment in Korea.
Because White had only pictures for reference, he
decided to seek out area Korean veterans to advise
him on the details of the uniform.
“I wanted someone to help me critique it, so I
don’t embarrass someone by being wrong,” said
White.
He found vets Sonny Bean and Dick Littlefield, who
both experienced combat while in Korea. They came
to White’s studio and provided information on
everything from shoulder patches to the straps on
the helmet.
Bennett’s uniform did not have shoulder patches
depicting his division, a surprise to White.
But Littlefield provided a possible explanation.
When he was serving in Korea, he said, “we would
be on the line for three weeks. They’d bring us
back and feed us and we’d have a shower. But we
took whatever clothes they had,” he said. “You
didn’t know what you were going to get. They
were clean. That was all.”
Littlefield and Bean also described a helmet
strap, not visible in the photo, which held the
helmet and its liner together.
The men had some trouble remembering whether the
uniform pants had pockets in the back.
But Don Bennett of Bethel, who joined the Army
shortly after the Korean Conflict, was able to
answer that question by researching the war era on
the Internet.
He found good photos of Korean soldiers and was
able to confirm there were no pockets.
White said the three men have been a great help to
him, and he will continue to consult with them as
he progresses on the sculpture.
“It’s fun to bring them over,” said White.
“I appreciate being part of it,” said Bean.
Dedication in spring
When White completes the sculpture, it will go off
to a foundry to be cast in bronze. White plans to
transport the 400-pound piece to Florida himself
in January, in the back of his truck.
He’s already been to the site once, to get an
idea of the scale to use for the sculpture.
White will supervise its placement on a
four-foot-high pedestal, provided by the
fundraisers.
A dedication is planned for Memorial Day, 2007,
according to John Bennett.
John said that in his brother’s last letter home
before his death, Emory said he was looking
forward to coming home and living out his life in
Cocoa Beach.
“He didn’t make it,” said John. “But we’ll
put the statue up a block from where he grew up.” |
|
|
| |
|
What is a hero? |
|
Alison Aloisio |
|
“He got his bag onto the train. It was raining,
and we said goodbye in the car. I never saw him again.”
That’s how 83-year-old John Bennett remembers his farewell in
1951 to his younger brother, Emory.
John could not know that less than five months later, Emory would
die on a ridge in Korea saving his fellow soldiers.
But John had seen in Emory the qualities that would lead him to
give his life for his comrades.
“I was not surprised at all,” said John. “He did what was
right everywhere he was.”
The youngest of four brothers, Emory was particularly close to
John, the next oldest by six years.
“We grew up very close,” said John. “We used to duck hunt
together. He was an expert shot. He was good at anything he did.
And he was a kind and gentle person. He didn’t like bullies.”
In 1943, at 13, Emory won a citizenship medal from the local
American Legion. At the same age, he was asked on an assignment
from his English teacher to answer a question — worth 10
points— from a literature book.
The question: What is a hero?
Emory wrote that a hero is someone who unselfishly gives his life
for someone else.
Ironically, said John, the teacher took six points off the answer
because Emory didn’t provide an example.
Eight years later, the 21-year-old soldier gave an example, with
his own life.
“He lived that,” said John. |
| ©
2006 Bethel Citizen |
|
GALLERY About
Artist
Resume
Contact
Info Home
Customer
References Directions
Area
Events Pricing
WORKS
IN PROGRESS
A
Prodigal Inn & Gallery
sculptor@tomwhitestudio.com Publicity
- News Articles
|
|
Tom and Marcey White
Tom White Studios, Inc.
(207) 824-8884
sculptor@tomwhitestudio.com
All sculptures and images ©Copyright 1994-2008
All Rights Reserved by Tom White Studios, Inc.
|
|
