The bronze casting of Present Arms, Army (photo) is currently being assembled by the skillful team of Palm, Inc. in Loveland, Colorado. The 200 lb. bronze casting is 5’10” tall and will be permanently installed next to a US Marine Honor Guard for a Veterans Park in Nebraska.
Present Arms, Army is a Korean War era US Army Honor Guard who is holding an M1 Garand rifle. The sculpture was modeled after a Korean War Veteran named Harold. I worked hard to capture Harold’s likeness but I was also concerned with making sure that the sculpture would look like he was pulled right out of the 1950’s. Therefore, it was important for me to study some of the illustrations from that period and one artist in particular became very useful, J.C. Leyendecker.
Leyendecker was famous for his illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post and is one of my favorite illustrators from the Golden Age of Illustration. What he excelled at and was known for was his unique depiction of the male figure. Whether it was an athlete, a business man or a soldier, a Leyendecker Post cover represented American standards of beauty.
