THE PLEDGE

Transcript of Susan Bahary’s speech from the unveiling ceremony:

GOOD AFTERNOON! THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING!

IT’S TRULY THE HONOR OF MY LIFETIME TO BE HERE TODAY AT ARLINGTON CEMETERY. THIS IS THE MOST SACRED PLACE THAT HONORS THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE OF OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE MILITARY.

AND WHAT A SPECIAL MOMENT TO BE UNVEILING THE PLEDGE MONUMENT TO RESIDE IN THE HALLOWED HALLS OF THE WOMEN’S MEMORIAL. IT IS THE FIRST MONUMENT IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL TO HONOR ALL WOMEN OF THE MILITARY FOR ALL THEY HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO. IT IS ALSO THE FIRST MONUMENT IN THE U.S. TO HONOR ALL FEMALE MILITARY WORKING DOG HANDLERS AND THEIR DOGS.

MY FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR THOSE WHO SERVE STARTED IN 1994, WITH THE COMMISSION OF OUR COUNTRY’S FIRST OFFICIAL WAR DOG MEMORIAL “ALWAYS FAITHFUL” — TO HONOR THE WAR DOGS OF WWII. IT WAS UNVEILED AT THE PENTAGON AND DEDICATED AT THE MARINE CORPS WAR DOG CEMETERY ON GUAM.

MEETING THE “GREATEST GENERATION” AND HEARING THEIR MOVING STORIES OF HARDSHIPS MIXED WITH HEARTFELT EXPRESSIONS OF AFFECTION AND GRATITUDE FOR THEIR WAR DOGS, PUT ME ON THE PATH THAT BROUGHT ME HERE TODAY.

THAT PIECE, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER RELEVANT PROJECTS I HAVE SCULPTED DEPICTING THOSE WHO SERVE BOTH IN THE US AND ABROAD, HAVE SHOWN ME THAT THE HUMAN AND ANIMAL BOND IS UNIVERSAL, INFINITE AND TIMELESS.

MY EYES HAVE BEEN OPENED TO THE HEART AND SOUL OF THOSE WHO SERVE, TO THOSE WHO RUN INTO THE FIRE WHEN MANY OF US WOULD RUN AWAY FROM IT — AND TO THOSE WHO ENSURE OUR FREEDOM WHILE ASKING SO LITTLE IN RETURN. IT IS MY HONOR TO CAPTURE THEM IN THAT PRECISE MOMENT OF TIME AND MY HOPE IS THAT THEY WILL BE APPRECIATED BY MANY GENERATIONS TO COME.

IT IS A LITTLE-KNOWN FACT THAT FEW WOMEN AND MEN IN THE MILITARY HAVE EVER ASKEDFOR A MONUMENT TO THEMSELVES. INSTEAD, THEY’VE WANTED A MONUMENT TO THEIR FAITHFUL WAR DOG — WHO SAVED THEIR LIVES — AND THOSE OF THEIR UNIFORMED BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

AS I LOOK AT MILITARY WOMEN THROUGHOUT HISTORY, I AM STRUCK BY THEIR BRAVERY AND DETERMINATION. WOMEN WHO SERVED AS EARLY AS THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, BUT HAD TO WEAR MEN’S CLOTHES AND WERE ONLY DISCOVERED TO BE WOMEN UPON THEIR DEATH.

THEY HAVE SERVED AS NURSES, IN COMMUNICATIONS, AND COUNTLESS SUPPORTING ROLES. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE GULF WAR THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY ALLOWED IN COMBAT AND YET, MONUMENTS TODAY RARELY SHOW THEM IN COMBAT GEAR.

THE MILITARY WORKING DOG HANDLER AND HER DOG REPRESENT ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS JOBS IN THE MILITARY — AND OUR WOMEN ARE MORE THAN UP FOR THE TASK.

IN THIS MONUMENT ENTITLED THE PLEDGE, I WANTED TO CAPTURE THIS FEMALE MILITARY HEROIN IN FULL COMBAT GEAR — THE MOMENT RIGHT BEFORE SHE AND HER FAITHFUL DOG GO INTO BATTLE TOGETHER.

SHE HAS MADE THE PLEDGE TO PROTECT AND DEFEND OUR COUNTRY AND THE BONDED PAIR SHARES THE UNSPOKEN PLEDGE TO KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE AND COMPLETE THEIR MISSION SUCCESSFULLY.

IT DEPICTS BOTH LOVE AND DUTY. IT’S ABOUT STRENGTH COUPLED WITH TRUST. ONE OF THE GREATEST BONDS EXISTING BETWEEN A DOG HANDLER AND HER DOG, ONE THAT CAN DETERMINE LIFE OR DEATH. A BOND THAT BRINGS COMFORT AND LOVE INTO THE HARDSHIPS OF WAR.

I HOPE OUR MILITARY WOMEN IN ALL THE JOBS THEY DO, CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN THIS WORK. IT’S EMBLEMATIC OF THEIR STRENGTH, CAPABILITY, COURAGE AND COMPASSION. I HOPE THOSE NOT IN THE MILITARY WILL APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE — AND BE MOVED BY THEIR TENACITY TO PURSUE PASSIONS IN ALL LINES OF WORK.

THANK YOU, RON AIELLO AND THE UNITED STATES WAR DOGS ASSOCIATION, FOR GIVING ME THE UNIQUE HONOR OF THIS COMMISSION — AND TO THE WOMEN’S MEMORIAL FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASTIC ACCEPTANCE AND TRUE APPRECIATION OF THE PLEDGE — HONORING AND CELEBRATING ALL MILITARY WOMEN: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.

THE UNVEILING OF THIS MONUMENT COMES AT A PIVOTAL TIME IN THE HISTORY OF WOMEN. A TIME WHEN WE CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, FOR WHICH OUR MILITARY WOMEN HELPED PAVE THE WAY IN WWI.

WE ALSO SUFFER THE LOSS OF ONE OF THE GREATEST CHAMPIONS OF WOMAN’S RIGHTS THE LATE, GREAT JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG — AN INSPIRATION AND A BEACON OF LIGHT EVEN IN THE FACE OF HER OWN STRUGGLES AND BATTLE WITH CANCER. A WOMAN WHO LED THE WAY FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE MILITARY.

WE MUST ALL TAKE PAUSE AND MAKE THE TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR WOMEN OF THE MILITARY — AND THANK THEM FOR ALL THEY HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO.

IT IS SO HUMBLING AND SUCH AN HONOR TO SEE THIS DREAM COME TRUE AS AN ARTIST CERTAINLY. BUT MORE IMPORTANT FOR OUR WOMAN IN UNIFORM AND GENERATIONS WHO I HOPE WILL BE INSPIRED AND MOVED BY THE PLEDGE — AND DEEPLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT THESE WOMAN HAVE DONE FOR OUR COUNTRY.

THE “PLEDGE” IS NOW ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND MY NEXT PROJECT, WHICH I’M SO EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY — THE NATIONAL SERVICE ANIMALS MONUMENT. THIS MONUMENT WILL BE THE WORLD’S FIRST MONUMENT DEDICATED TO THE DEEDS AND SACRIFICES OF ALL SERVICE ANIMALS INCLUDING MILITARY, POLICE, SEARCH AND RESCUE, ASSISTANCE, COMPANION, RESCUE AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS.

THE NATIONAL SERVICE ANIMALS MONUMENT WILL BE A PLACE OF PRIDE, INTROSPECTION, AND EDUCATION. A PLACE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND SACRIFICES MADE BY ALL SERVICE ANIMALS AND THEIR HANDLERS SINCE THE FOUNDING OF OUR COUNTRY. IT WILL ALSO BE THE DRIVING CATALYST FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE PURPLE POPPY CAMPAIGN HERE IN THE U.S.

WHILE THE RED POPPY HAS LONG BEEN A SYMBOL TO HONOR THE SACRIFICE OF BRAVE SOLDIERS IN THE US AND ABROAD, THE PURPLE POPPY HAS, IN THE PAST REPRESENTED THE SACRIFICE OF WAR ANIMALS IN AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, UNITED KINGDOM AND OTHER COUNTRIES.

NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE NATIONAL SERVICE ANIMALS MONUMENT HAS BROUGHT THE INSPIRING PURPLE POPPY CAMPAIGN TO THE UNITED STATES!

I DESIGNED THE PURPLE POPPY PIN, WHICH, LIKE THIS MONUMENT, SYMBOLIZES ANIMALS AND MANKIND WORKING ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER THROUGH TIMES OF CONFLICT AND IN PEACE. BEFORE LEAVING HERE TODAY, I INVITE ALL OF YOU TO PICK UP YOUR VERY OWN PP PIN WHICH WILL BE ON THE TABLE BEFORE EXITING THE MUSEUM.

IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, THESE ARE CHALLENGING TIMES. AS AMERICANS, WE HAVE ALWAYS FOUND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO RISE THROUGH ADVERSITY. AND WHILE WE CAN’T CHANGE MANY OF THE EVENTS, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY CHANGE HOW WE RESPOND TO THEM.

THE “PLEDGE” IS AN EXAMPLE OF ALL OF THE BRAVE WOMAN, MEN AND ANIMALS WHO SERVE AS AN INSPIRATION FOR WHAT WE CAN OVERCOME AND ACHIEVE WHEN WE ALL WORK TOGETHER FOR THE SAME GOAL.

THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND AMERICA.

~ Susan Bahary