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Bronze sculptor Pamela Harr gets a look at her latest work, “Letter from Home”, before it was lifted and placed at Veterans Memorial Park on Aug. 15.
Darren Frey/Glendive Ranger Review
Sculptor Pamela Harr, left, watches as a crew carefully lowers her bronze sculpture, “Letters from Home,” into position during its installation at Veterans Memorial Park Saturday.
Jamie Crisafulli/Glendive Ranger Review
Episode 3351 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the new Vietnam Veteran Memorial in Glendive, MT. The story is titled: ‘Letter from Home’: New sculpture in Glendive honors Vietnam veterans. It appeared on the Bozeman Daily Chronicle website and was submitted by Darren Frey, a writer for the Glendive Ranger-Review (dfrey@rangerreview.com).
Frey reported that at Veterans Memorial Park in Glendive, Montana, a powerful new bronze sculpture is honoring the courage, sacrifice and greatness of Vietnam veterans. Created by sculptor Pamela Harr, Letters from Home depicts a soldier reading a letter from a loved one—a deeply emotional tribute to the men and women who served during the Vietnam War.
Harr’s inspiration was both personal and patriotic. Her first husband, Gerry Harr, was killed in Vietnam and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. While visiting his grave, she made a promise to herself to someday create a lasting tribute to Vietnam veterans. Decades later, that dream became reality.
The 1.2-times-life-size bronze soldier was inspired partly by photographs Harr had seen of Vietnam-era soldiers. Local veterans also helped ensure the sculpture accurately represented the equipment of the era, including utility belts, canteens, patches and weapons. Modern 3D-printing technology was used to create the M16 rifle, while the sculpture itself was completed through the painstaking lost-wax bronze casting process.
Community support played a major role. Harr created smaller versions of the sculpture to raise funds, with donations and purchases coming from across the country. Local veterans and volunteers also helped prepare the memorial site and install the finished sculpture.
The letter held by the soldier contains donor names and a message thanking the Glendive community for its support.
Letters from Home is more than a work of art—it is a lasting memorial to Vietnam veterans, their families, their sacrifices and their service to America. It reminds us that behind every uniform was a person who left loved ones behind and answered the call of duty.
We owe our Vietnam veterans a debt of gratitude that can never truly be repaid. Their courage, honor, sacrifice and perseverance will never be forgotten.
Listen to episode 3351 and discover more about the new Vietnam Veteran Memorial in Glendive, MT.
