Lone Sailor Statue Ship Program
The Lone Sailor statue stands watch on board USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112).
ABOUT THE LONE SAILOR
The Lone Sailor statue was sculpted by Stanley Bleifeld in 1984 and first dedicated at the U.S. Navy Memorial on October 13, 1987, as a symbol of the U.S. Navy Memorial’s mission to Honor, Recognize and Celebrate the men and women of the Sea Services, past, present and future; and to Inform the public about their service.
Since then, the Lone Sailor has become the iconic symbol of the men and women who have served, are serving or will serve in the Navy. He’s called the Lone Sailor, yet he is hardly ever alone. He is about 25 years old, a senior second class petty officer who is fast becoming a seagoing veteran. He has done it all -- fired weapons in war, provided humanitarian assistance in far-away lands, been attacked by the enemy and defended our freedom. He has made liberty calls in great cities and tiny villages where he was a tourist, ambassador, adventurer, friend, and missionary to those less fortunate and representative of our way of life. His shipmates remember him with pride and look up to him with respect.
DEDICATING A LONE SAILOR STATUE ON NEWLY COMMISSIONED SHIPS
By dedicating a Lone Sailor statue on brand new ships upon their commissioning, a very strong message is sent to the commissioning crew and to all those who will sail on her for the life of the ship that their service is honored. The statue is placed in a prominent place for all to see as the ship deploys around the world, defending America’s way of life.
The process for placing a statue begins with the Navy Memorial identifying a sponsor and coordinating the statue donation during the week of festivities leading up to the commissioning ceremony.
The Navy Memorial asks for a donation of at least $17,750 and will provide all liaising with the commissioning crew and accompany the sponsor to commissioning.
The bronze Lone Sailor statue is 22” tall. The Navy Memorial serves as an advisor to the project and, as an IRS-approved 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, manages tax-deductible donations to support the project.
