Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz speaks after accepting a U.S. Air Force Honor Guard statuette from the Air Force Association during a Pentagon ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 13, 2012. The statuette is a replica of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard sculpture at the Air Force Memorial. Standing at attention behind Schwartz are, from left, Lt. Col. Ken Marentette, Master Sgt. Matthew Lewis and Staff Sgt. Jesse Schierloh, all members of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Andy Morataya)
Air Force Association Chairman of the Board of Directors Sandy Schlitt presents a statue depicting the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard to the Air Force during a ceremony in the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., on April 13, 2012. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz accepted the statuette—a replica of the honor guard sculpture at the Air Force Memorial—on behalf of the service. Standing at attention behind Schlitt are, from left, Lt. Col. Ken Marentette, Master Sgt. Matthew Lewis, Staff Sgt. Jesse Schierloh and Senior Airman Billy Degraffenreid, all members of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Andy Morataya)
U.S. Air Force Honor Guard members from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C., stand at attention during an April 13, 2012, Pentagon ceremony in which Air Force Association Chairman of the Board of Directors Sandy Schlitt presented the Air Force with a replica of the honor guard statue at the Air Force Memorial. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz accepted the statuette on behalf of the service. The honor guard members are, from left, Lt. Col. Ken Marentette, Master Sgt. Matthew Lewis, Staff Sgt. Jesse Schierloh and Senior Airman Billy Degraffenreid. (U.S. Air Force photo/Andy Morataya)
by Staff Sgt. Tiffany Trojca
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
4/18/2012 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- A 30-inch replica of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard statue at the Air Force Memorial went on display at the Pentagon here April 13.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz accepted the replica on behalf of the service from Air Force Association leaders during a Pentagon ceremony.
The AFA representatives said they hoped the statuette would remind passers-by of the honor guard's contributions to the Air Force and the core values its members represent on behalf of the service.
"This is about your legacy, those who came before and, of course, the current members of the honor guard," Schwartz said to the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard members who attended the ceremony. "I think it's most appropriate that you will have this marvelous statue in the chief's office for all to see."
The original 16-foot statue was created by Zenos Frudakis and was unveiled in October 2006. Frudakis' statue greets visitors to the Air Force Memorial, giving the site a human face while also reminding visitors of the sacrifice of those Airmen who lost their lives in defense of the nation.
To create the bronze-cast statue, Frudakis studied members of the honor guard thoroughly. He spent months inspecting their hairstyles, postures and uniform details, down to the creases caused by bearing the weight of flags and the single break in the pants just above their shoes.
To learn more about the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard sculpture and the Air Force Memorial, visit http://www.airforcememorial.org.
