Artist: Elmer Peterson
Location: UW-La Crosse, Veterans Memorial Field Complex
The stainless steel eagle, perched on top of five decorated steel arches and masonry columns, represents the national symbol, appearing on the Great Seal of the United States, and serves as a local symbol of UW-La Crosse athletic teams. This sculpture is intended to honor veterans of all five branches of the United States Military.
Dedicated in 1996. The design is celebrative in nature and contains symbols which reflect both the monument’s status as a veterans’ memorial and the stadium’s function as a UW-La Crosse athletic facility.
The columns are constructed of alternating brick and Winona limestone layers, replicating the facing design adorning the university’s Graff Main Hall, the oldest building on campus. Each spoke in the steel arches represents an individual state in the union of states with the center spoke representing the District of Columbia; thereby, each arch contains 51 spokes from column to column. The eagle atop the canopy is a national symbol, appearing on the Great Seal of the United States, and it also serves as a local symbol of UW-La Crosse athletic teams.
