By Bill Short
The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen has unanimously approved an agreement with the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation for purchase of “The Lone Sailor” statue.
Board members took the action during their April 13 regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Alderman Don Lowry and seconded by Alderman John Perales.
“The Lone Sailor” is a 7.5-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicting a senior second-class petty officer with a seabag. It was created in 1987 for the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Established as a tribute by the Foundation, it is an “iconic” symbol of the Navy’s Memorial mission to “honor, recognize and celebrate” the past, present and future men and women of the Sea Services, and to inform the public about their service.
A resolution states that Millington desires to serve as a “sponsor” for the placement of a new statue at a “suitable” and “approved” location in the city.
The agreement with the Foundation includes provisions for the statue’s “preparation and installation.”
The resolution authorizes Mayor Larry Dagen to execute all documents necessary to carry out the terms of the agreement, subject to “review, approval and modification” by City Attorney Gerald Lawson.
Amy Collier, Millington’s director of Education and Recreation, told the board that the city is required to have $50,000 before it can enter into a “contract” with the Foundation.
But she noted that Millington, with the U.S. Navy League of Memphis as its 501(c)(3) “partner,” would like to reach a “threshold” of $100,000 before signing.
During a telephone interview last week, Collier said the city had approximately $106,000 “committed” at that point, and Dagen signed the contract on April 30.
Because only one statue in the nation is currently “cast,” she said the Foundation will “reserve” it for Millington, and it will not go to another city.
Although the city has had “a number of meetings” with businesses and individuals who are “interested” in donating to the project, Collier acknowledged that they had not yet done so.
“Sometimes, they have not written a check,” she noted, “but they’re still really thinking about it. And we feel good that they’re going to come through with a donation. We call that a ‘warm’ pledge.”
Collier also said District 1 County Commissioner Amber Mills has “sponsored” a $50,000 grant to the Navy League from the Shelby County Community Enhancement Fund.
While acknowledging that Millington is still raising funds, she said its “ultimate goal” is approximately $500,000.
She also noted that the total cost of the prepared, delivered and installed statue is $350,000.
So, the remaining $150,000 will be used for grading, paving, “electrical work,” landscaping and “benches” in what the city calls the “quarterdeck” area at the intersection of Navy Road and Easley Street.
Collier has asked anyone interested in being a donor to “reach out” to her.
“It’s a meaningful project,” she concluded. “And we have a lot of different opportunities available for people if they want to memorialize a loved one.”
