The Three Servicemen Statue — Attraction in Washington

The community is missing/ not recognizing a service man who modeled for Hart and provided much of the equipment Marine Denis REEN See article highlights Below By Marla Miller | Muskegon Chronicle Muskegon County Museum "The Three Servicemen" statue, part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is shown two years after the Vietnam Wall' completion. Enlarge photo The tattered green U.S. Marine Corps-issued sea bag, complete with a faded peace sign, arrived at the Muskegon County Museum more than a week ago. But like a kid on Christmas Eve, the museum's executive director, John McGarry, must wait until later this week to see what is locked inside the Vietnam era artifact. The sea bag's contents will be the focal point of the history museum's summer exhibit, "The Three Servicemen." The exhibit, made possible with the help of two of McGarry's longtime friends, tells the little-known story behind the artist's rendering of the Three Servicemen Statue, which stands near The Wall in Washington, D.C. It includes photo panels with labels, uniforms and the equipment used in the design of statue

The Three Servicemen Statue became part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site two years after The Wall's completion. Created by the late artist, Frederick Hart, who was selected for his representational style, the statue grew out of the controversy surrounding the design of The Wall, which some veterans found too abstract.

The year was 1982 and Hart's goal was to design a piece of artwork that would reflect the experiences and service of the Vietnam veteran. He worked with curators at the United States Marine Corps Museum, who provided him with uniforms for the three servicemen and the equipment they carried.

Historian Ken Smith-Christmas worked closely on the project with Hart. At the time Hart was designing the statue, the military did not have an extensive collection of Vietnam-era artillery, uniforms or personal items the soldiers might have used, McGarry said. So, Smith-Christmas contacted one of his good friends, Marine Denis Reen, who served more than five months in Vietnam in 1969 before being injured. Reen spent two months recuperating in a Japanese hospital and returned home with few belongings. An amateur military historian and collector of Civil War artifacts, Reen began collecting the items he had used during his Vietnam tour. He found many items at gun shows and military surplus stores.

A display case will protect Reen's belongings, shipped to Muskegon in his original sea bag from his home in Adamstown, Md. There will be a mannequin dressed in uniform and draped with authentic Vietnam era military equipment, McGarry said.

Reen also served as a model for the statue project and is reflected in the soldier standing on the left and holding an M-60 machine gun.

"Hart was pretty dependent on the fact I had all this equipment for a Marine," Reen said. "In the final version, there were three other people that modeled because he was presenting three different ethnic...

The Three Servicemen Statue, located near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a poignant and humanizing tribute to those who served in the Vietnam War. Created by sculptor Frederick Hart and unveiled in 1984, the bronze statue complements the stark black granite wall of the Memorial, offering a traditional representation of the soldiers who fought in the conflict.

The statue features three young servicemen—one African American, one Hispanic, and one Caucasian—standing together in camaraderie. Their expressions capture a mix of weariness, vigilance, and resolve, evoking war's emotional and physical toll. Clad in authentic military gear, the figures are detailed to the last strap and buckle, lending a lifelike quality that draws viewers closer.

Positioned to appear as though they are gazing at the wall of names, the statue establishes a symbolic connection between the living and the fallen. It adds a profoundly personal layer to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, reminding visitors that behind each name is a face, a story, and a sacrifice.

The Three Servicemen Statue is a moving testament to the diversity and unity of those who served, ensuring their legacy remains vividly alive for generations. This monument, though not as popular as others, is still...

Sometimes this modest statue can be overlooked compared to its counterpart nearby. It’s history is controversial as to the commission compared to the Maya Lin design.

While it is a different approach to a memorial of such high emotion and conceptual impact, it does offer some tangible realism to the soldier experience or at least representation of the human element that was in the jungles of Vietnam.

One high remark here is that it’s the first representation of an African American in sculpted form on the National Mall. The piece was unveiled in 1984.

I think one thing to consider while being in this space is how do these two different approaches merit memorial? What are the impacts of each on you? No wrong answers… only different perspectives and thoughts.

At any rate, it all reminds of us of the cost of a conflict grown into a war and the differences between the decision makers and those...