Repaired Sculpture Back on VA Grounds
Admirers of the “Cost of Freedom” sculpture on the Veterans Affairs (VA) campus are once again loving what they see. They’re breathing a collective sigh of relief after a third absence in the sculpture’s four-year history triggered concerns and led to rumors that it had been stolen.
The sculpture, originally was purchased by Lincoln East Rotary Foundation and representatives and other partners for $16,000. It has several temporary homes before landing at the new VA building site south of 70th & O Streets. The sculpture is a tribute to the sacrifice of America’s military veterans.
Mother Nature played a hand in its fate, the first time, knocking over the structure during a windstorm in November 2019. That led to a rehabilitation process in a maintenance building on the VA grounds, where Tammy Miller, the sculpture’s original artist, teamed with several VA employees to piece the sculpture back together. Last year, the natural wear and tear of the outdoors setting took its toll, creating a need to replace the sculpture’s wooden black base. Rotarians Mike Ahrens provided the laborers and material to restore the sculpture.
The latest episode in the chain of events occurred recently and was another example of the sculpture showing signs of wear. The sculpture’s flag, made of different material than that of the hands, began to show its age. That led to a month-long restoration process engineered by Larry Kruse at Kruse Restoration, Joe Kenny at Sherwin-Williams Paint, Nate Decker at LINE-X and a representative from Sign Pro. The repair team applied a very durable finish and returned the sculpture to its familiar perch on the VA grounds, much to the delight of passing motorists on south 70th Street
Lincoln East Rotarian Duane Tappe, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran said it is sturdier now and bolted to the concrete. Duane participated in the spirited bidding at a public art auction in 2018 at which 51 Serving Hands sculptures were at stake. Duane said that there are lots of people who care about this sculpture and they panic when it is gone. “It’s created a lot of curiosity and awareness.”
Duane said that it looks great again and should hold up well during our Nebraska weather.