Model of the bronze statues that will honor Pueblo's four Medal of Honor recipients.

Medal of Honor Memorial

The Pueblo Chieftain newspaper owner and publisher Bob Rawlings, working with Bill Coors, the Coors Foundation, plus other Foundations in Colorado has raised money to commission bronze statues for a memorial that will depict each of Pueblo’s Medal of Honor four recipients. This Medal of Honor Memorial will be placed in “Heroes Plaza” outside Pueblo’s new Convention Center, in downtown Pueblo. The address is 320 Central Main Street.

Highlighting the Memorial will be an 8 ½’ high bronze sculpture of each of the Pueblo heroes: William Crawford, Army- WWII; Carl Sitter, Marine –Korea; Raymond G. “Jerry” Murphy, Marine-Korea; and Drew Dix-Army Special Forces – Vietnam. Additionally, behind the sculptures on the wall of the Convention Center will be 3,410 names of all the recipients since this prestigious award began during Civil War days.

The Memorial will be unveiled Thursday, September 21, 2000 when the Congressional Medal of Honor Society comes to Pueblo for the National Annual Convention. The Convention dates are September 19-24, 2000.

Plans are underway for this prestigious convention, which will include not only Medal of Honor Society business but many special events for the enjoyment of the recipients and their immediate families. Several events will be free and open to the public, such as a community concert featuring the U. S. Air Force Band of the Rockies and the unveiling ceremony of this Memorial later in the week.

For a list of events as they are currently planned (noting they may change over the next year) contact Organizing Committee Chairman Paulette Stuart. She works as Promotions Manager at The Pueblo Chieftain and her address, phone, fax and e-mail are as follows:

Paulette Stuart

Medal of Honor Convention 2000
P.O. Box 4040
Pueblo, CO 81003
Phone: local 544-3520 or toll free 1-800-279-6397 ext. 516
Fax: (719) 546-3235
E-mail: pstuart@chieftain.com

Bill Crawford, Medal of Honor recipient, with his sculpture that is ready to be bronzed. This is the first of four sculptures that will make up the Memorial at the Pueblo Convention Center.

The sculptures are being created, sized and cast by well-known Pueblo artist David Dirrim from Renaissance Bronze Ltd. Joining Dirrim for this project is Rick Solony. William “Bif” Yates, a former Puebloan, who has Yates Studio in Eaton, Colorado, will do granite work

As the sculptures progress we plan to show them on the Internet, so stay tuned! The artists may be contacted about the project through Ms. Stuart at The Pueblo Chieftain address listed above.