Lennard's work will do the veterans proud

The only word that describes Scott Lennard’s work is awesome.

Last week, Lennard put the finishing touches on a clay model that will be used to create a six-foot-tall bronze statue for the Lincoln County Veterans Memorial Foundation. The statue depicts two American soldiers from different eras, one firing a weapon while the other pulls him to safety.

I’ve heard stories about Lennard’s work – his world-class sculptures and custom-built guitars. So, I already had it in my head that he was a wildly talented artist. But after watching one of his projects transition from a crude drawing to a finished masterpiece, it’s easy to understand why Lennard has almost attained living-legend status in Libby.

The life-sized clay model is so intricately detailed that some people who have seen it up close think the faces of the soldiers remind them of someone they know. One member of the veterans group that is spearheading the project remarked that one of the soldiers bears an uncanny resemblance to John Wayne.

The next step is to send the clay model to the foundry to be bronzed.

When complete, the statue of the soldiers will be placed atop six-foot-tall granite pillars. The entire monument, which will be 12-feet tall from the ground to the top of the standing soldier’s head, will be placed in the center of several rows of donated bricks at Riverfront Park. Each brick features the name, rank and unit of a soldier.

The monument is scheduled to be complete by Veterans Day 2014, but the timetable depends on support from the public. The Lincoln County Veterans Memorial Committee continues to raise money to pay for the project, and another $40,000 is needed within the next three months to keep the project on schedule.

The veterans group has raised nearly $70,000 through donations and by selling memorial bricks to people who want to honor friends and family members who served, or are still serving, in the military. So far, the group has sold 347 bricks.

Just like Lennard toiled mightily over the sculpture, the group of veterans behind this project has dedicated a great deal of time and personal income to bring it all together. And they need our help to finish the job.

So, if you think this is a worthy project and want to be a part of it, now is the time to get involved.

Donations fall into four categories: bronze, $250; silver, $500; gold, $1,000; platinum, $5,000. The names of all donors will be engraved on granite benches that will be placed along the perimeter of the monument. Bricks cost $100 each.

Donations and brick applications can be brought into Timberline Auto Center or The Kootenai Cobbler. They can also be sent to LCVMF, P.O. Box 1638, Libby, Mont., 59923.

(Matt Bunk is publisher of The Western News.)