The Circle of Heroes is an underwater military veterans memorial 10 miles off the coast of Honeymoon Island State Park in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the first underwater veterans memorial.Mackley, Brian. "The first underwater veterans memorial is open for divers", MilitaryTimes website, August 5, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
The memorial The statues were installed during the week of July 22, 2019 after 2-1/2 years of planning and creation.Becca Hurley. "Nation's First Underwater Veterans Memorial Opens in Florida", Scuba Diving magazine online, August 5, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2022.Dickstein, Corey. "Memorial shows deep gratitude", Stars and Stripes (United States Edition) (in partnership with Tampa Bay Times), volume 11, number 36, August 15, 2019, age 14. They were dedicated on August 5, 2019, and currently consist of thirteen 6-foot tall statues placed 40 feet underwater, with plans to add twelve more statues.Dyhouse, Janie. "VFW's Image 'Shines' Under the Sea", VFW Magazine, volume 107, Number 3, November/December 2019, page 23. At the center, stands a 4 foot high, 3-ton pentagon shaped monument featuring the emblems of the five military branches: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy.Najarro, Ileana. "Heroes ready for deep duty", Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Florida, August 6, 2019, pages 1B and 6B Tribou, Richard. "Underwater dive memorial to veterans off Clearwater coast", Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 11, 2019, page 15E. The statues are arranged in a 100 foot circle around the center monument. The memorial is also considered a recreational dive site.
Each statue weighs 1,200 pounds.Guerrat, John. "'Circle of Heroes' reef memorial on track, seeks more donations", Tampa Bay Times online, February 21, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
Statues The statues depict:Lewis, Bobby. "Circle of Heroes underwater memorial honors military veterans", 2021 WTSP-TV website (10 Tampa Bay), published August 5, 2019, updated September 14, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
Navy Sailor Southeast Asia War Soldier Korean War Soldier Marine in Dress Blues Vietnam Soldier Air Force Pilot No Man Left Behind Gulf War Soldier Iraq War Soldier Iraq Freedom Fighter Army Nurse Soldier Kneeling & Battle Cross Coast Guard Sailor
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