Dedicated on June 18, 2005, the Memorial commemorates Lake
Champlain’s significant naval history, and honors all men and
women who have served and currently serve in the U.S. Military.
The
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation approved Vermont’s Burlington
Waterfront as the second site outside the nation’s capitol
—and the first civilian site — to be awarded this honor. The
Memorial includes a replica of the well-known U.S. Navy
Memorial’s statue recognized as the “Lone Sailor,” along
with various additions by Vermont granite company Rock of
Ages — crafters of the World War II Memorial in Washington,
D.C. U.S. Navy Memorial sculptor and creator of the Lone
Sailor, Stanley Bleifeld, oversaw the ECHO installation.
Lake Champlain is the site of two critical historic battles:
Under the command of Commodore Benedict Arnold, the 1776
Battle of Valcour Island had a profound impact on the
outcome of the Revolutionary War. During the War of 1812,
the U.S. again defended Lake Champlain against invasion from
Great Britain in the Battle of Plattsburgh Bay.
The Lone Sailor statue is made of bronze, stands
approximately seven feet, six inches tall, and weighs an
estimated one thousand pounds. It is placed in the center of
a compass rose made entirely of Vermont granite. Behind the
statue are six granite slants placed in a semicircle.
Narrative descriptions of critical naval actions, and those
Vermonters who have changed the course of history in those
actions, are etched on each slant.
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