LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/274582
March 2014 69 Atlantic shores. The Story Garden is an intimate setting with the soothing sounds of water. The Mountains to the Sea is a flowing, linear water feature representing the state's watershed flowing to the ocean. N.C. Gliders is a quiet stop along the walkway near the community lawn to swing on a bench made from native hardwoods. The form of the bench suggests the N.C. flag. The first plaza encountered from the Visitors' Center, Community Life Before Service, evokes the new soldiers' life before the transition from family and home into service. Presented on 50 concrete and glass columns in the Community Plaza are hand castings from veterans and their families, and the names of each of the 100 N.C. counties. The county columns are ordered by their year of creation. Each hand casting includes soil from each of the counties. The gently curving Oath of Service Wall displays 100 detailed, life-size bronze hand castings of N.C. veterans held at shoulder height, symbolically taking the oath of service. All 100 N.C. counties are represented, and soils from each county are included. Inscribed on the wall is the military oath of enlistment/commissioning. The Service Plaza includes the Patriot Wall, a linear water feature of North Carolina granite, bluestone, polished steel panels and etched glass. The wall's Service Grotto is two glass walls etched with images, and water flowing on their surfaces. On one wall the soldier's image is without race or gender, looking across the space to the preamble of the U.S. Constitution etched in the shape of a star. Here also is the wartime tradition of families displaying flags to honor family actively serving. Such flags had a blue star Top, Right one end of the Veterans' Walk leads to the airborne & Special operations Museum and the imposing "Iron Mike" statue. "Iron Mike" is the name of a number of U.S. military statues. Sculpture Leah hiebert completed this 16-ft., 4-inch "Iron Mike" for Fort bragg in 1962, which depicts a WWII airborne trooper with a thompson submachine gun. Sgt. Maj. James runyon was the model. the statue deteriorated, and was replaced with a bronze version, then moved here in 2010. Bottom, Right & Inset the oath of Service Wall has 100 life-size bronze castings of hands of N.C. veterans symbolically taking the oath of service. there's a casting for each N.C. county. Soil from each county is mixed into the concrete pours for the wall, and into the casting mix for the hands. Inscribed on the wall is the military oath. Photo: Mark herboth PhotograPhy Photo: DoD 64-73.indd 69 2/28/14 5:22 PM