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Navy SEAL monument coming to Virginia Beach Oceanfront boardwalk

Posted at 11:03 AM, Jul 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-10 17:51:38-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A monument honoring Navy SEALs will stand on the Virginia Beach boardwalk facing the Atlantic Ocean at 38th Street, according to the Navy SEAL Museum's website.

Navy SEAL history started in 1942, when volunteers for special missions came together and trained in Virginia Beach.

The centerpiece of the monument is the same Naked Warrior statue as other SEAL heritage sites. It depicts an early Frogman atop a beach obstacle, gathering himself to conduct a combat mission.

The Naked Warrior will be enclosed by a stone wall with history panels and laser etchings that show the entire history of SEALs and their forerunners.

Sand from places around the world significant to SEAL history will lie at the base of the statue. A star for every SEAL and a paw print for every SEAL K-9 killed in the line of duty will be embedded in a wall.

Eighty thousand pounds of etched granite will be transported from Ohio to the monument's location in Virginia Beach on Sunday, July 9. On Monday, the addition of the sand, the Naked Warrior statue and granite will begin. The memorial is set to be completed by July 13.

A dedication ceremony will be held on Thursday, July 20, 75 years after the first SEAL predecessor units were formed.

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