CLEARWATER, Fla. — After living in a world surrounded by your brothers and sisters in combat, many veterans will tell you coming home can pose a challenge.
- 12 life-size statues create 'Circle of Heroes' at the bottom of the Gulf
- Memorial allows veterans and civilians to remember brave soldiers
- Phase 2 of the project will be complete by next Veterans Day
- More Pinellas County headlines
“No longer is life simple and routine with a clear objective for your day. Instead, they come home and a new form of chaos enters their lives,” said one speaker at an event held Monday morning.
But now, there’s a way to escape that chaos. Ten miles off the coast of Clearwater Beach, veterans can now return to that safe place to be with their brothers and sisters.
Twelve life-size concrete statues form a ‘Circle of Heroes’ at the bottom of the Gulf. It's a first-of-its-kind monument that gives veterans and civilians a chance to come face to face with bravery and courage in a place so tranquil and intimate.
“When you descend below the waves, you enter a world of peace and tranquility. The sounds of chaos are replaced by your own breath,” said the speaker.
“It’s just one of those things that really hits you. It feels not just like a statue, but really a memorial to those we left behind and those still fighting,” said SSG Shawn Campbell. “This is the one that actually hits home the most though. Remembering the friends that can’t be here anymore."
From protecting overseas, to protecting our sea.
“Those brave statues are protecting the waters here in Tampa Bay. That’s the way I see it. Because they were all brave heroes,” said Anthony Rizzo, a Vietnam War veteran.
These men and women will live on as our nation’s heroes as long as these statues stand.
Phase Two of the project will be complete by next Veterans Day.
There will be 24 statues in all.