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Earlier this week I headed to Pojoaque to check on the progress of a statue Pojoaque Pueblo Governor George Rivera is crafting of Sgt. Leroy Petry, the 2011 Medal of Honor recipient who was born and raised in Santa Fe.
The Petry statue will be installed in front of Santa Fe City Hall. Rivera has been working on the piece for about a year and, except for a few minor details, it’s now essentially complete. A dedication ceremony could take place as soon as next month, according to Rivera.
I have a short story in tomorrow’s paper but, for now, here’s a few interesting details:
-The statue is about nine-feet tall, including the base. It’s bronze and weighs about 1,500 pounds.
-Rivera, after meeting with Petry, decided to give the statue a slight smile. Petry, Rivera said, smiled a lot when the two met.
-The statue was crafted so that people can “shake” Petry’s stainless steel hand. The real Petry wears a prosthetic – he lost his right hand when he grabbed a live grenade and tried to throw it back at Taliban insurgents during a firefight in Afghanistan in May 2008.
-The statue was made to withstand touch and play. Rivera told me he designed it to be as childproof as possible.
And here’s some pictures….
The statue at Rivera’s studio against the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
A slight smile on Petry’s face.
Rivera discussing the piece.
Reprint story -- Email the reporter at khay@abqjournal.com. Call the reporter at 505-992-6290
