Rear Admiral William Thompson was the first president and CEO of the Navy Memorial Foundation, which raised the funds to create the Navy Memorial. As a tribute to Thompson's work to bring the memorial to life, sculptor Stanley Bleifeld placed Thompson's initials and last name on the sea bag.[1] The model for The Lone Sailor was Dan Maloney.[2][3][unreliable source?][4] Maloney modeled in 1984 or 1985 when he was a Petty Officer First Class assigned to the submarine USS Alabama.[5] The Navy Times published Maloney's first person account of his selection and collaboration with Bleifeld on The Lone Sailor and Liberty Hound statues.[6] The Liberty Hound is located on the Jacksonville, Florida waterfront. There were several earlier designs for The Lone Sailor but the versions created from those sessions were not approved.[7] After the failed attempts using Navy Ceremonial Honor Guard models, Bleifeld asked New London Submarine Base for someone more typical.[8]
As part of the casting process, the bronze for The Lone Sailor was mixed with artifacts from eight U.S. Navy ships, provided by the Naval Historical Center.
Replicas around the United States
The Lone Sailor keeps watch over USS Wisconsin.The Lone Sailor statue at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.
There are copies of The Lone Sailor in memorials around the United States.[9]
Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston Naval Memorial Park.32°51′09″N 79°57′24″W / 32.85250°N 79.95667°W / 32.85250; -79.95667 (The Lone Sailor, Charleston)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Esplanade Park overlooking the New River.26°07′10.8″N 80°08′53.5″W / 26.119667°N 80.148194°W / 26.119667; -80.148194 (The Lone Sailor, Ft. Lauderdale)
Jacksonville, Florida, overlooking the St. Johns River.30°19′12.35″N 81°39′25.64″W / 30.3200972°N 81.6571222°W / 30.3200972; -81.6571222 (The Lone Sailor, Jacksonville)
Long Beach, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.33°45′41.7″N 118°09′22.4″W / 33.761583°N 118.156222°W / 33.761583; -118.156222 (The Lone Sailor, Long Beach)
Marin County, California, above Fort Baker.37°49′57.6″N 122°28′47.8″W / 37.832667°N 122.479944°W / 37.832667; -122.479944 (The Lone Sailor, San Francisco)
Orlando, Florida, in Blue Jacket Park, memorializing the former site of Naval Training Center Orlando.28°34′30.1″N 81°20′16.3″W / 28.575028°N 81.337861°W / 28.575028; -81.337861 (The Lone Sailor Navy Memorial of Central Florida)[11]
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Dedicated on October 13, 2017.[12][13]
Washington, D.C., in the West Wing of the White House, a 24-inch replica is stationed at the entrance to the White House Mess.[citation needed] Presented to President Reagan in 1987 by the Navy Memorial Dedication Committee.[14]
Waterloo, Iowa, Grout Museum. 42°29′35.5″N 92°20′37.0″W / 42.493194°N 92.343611°W / 42.493194; -92.343611 (The Lone Sailor, Waterloo) The statue in Waterloo, IA is a tribute to the Sullivan Brothers.[15][16]
West Haven, Connecticut, in Old Grove Park.41°15′28.0″N 72°56′54.7″W / 41.257778°N 72.948528°W / 41.257778; -72.948528 (The Lone Sailor, West Haven) The statue in West Haven, CT was donated by residents and Navy veteran Marty DeGrand.[17]
^Thompson, William (2010). Gumption: My Life – My Words. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. pp. 458–9. ISBN 978-1-4538-5357-3.
^Hileman, Maria (5 April 1987). "Memorial will showcase Weston artist". The Day. New London, CT.
^Bleifeld, Stanley (9 June 1987). Letter from sculptor Stanley Bleifeld to William Thompson, President, United States Navy Memorial (Correspondence).
^Moore, Kevan (4 September 2012). "Here's looking at you kid". Kitsap Daily News. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
^Blair, Bryan (16 October 2012). "NSA Bahrain holds 237th Navy ball" (Press release). United States Navy. Navy News Service. NNS121016-04. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
^Maloney, Daniel K. (5 March 2001). "A turn of his collar, and history was made". Navy Times.
^McAllister, Bill (31 December 1986). "Navy memorial sculptor chips at Washington's art bureaucracy". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
^Friedrich, Ed. "'Lone Sailor' bound for Bremerton Marina". Kitsap Sun. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2008.