Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and community leaders recently honored veterans and active military personnel at the dedication ceremony of the Lone Sailor Navy Memorial of Central Florida. The Central Florida Navy League coordinated the ceremony, which drew residents from across the region. Mayor Jacobs provided her remarks at the ceremony and was joined by Congressman Dan Webster, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County District 4 Commissioner Jennifer Thompson and City of Orlando District 3 Commissioner Robert F. Stuart. The new memorial at Blue Jacket Park in Orange County is located at the former home of the U.S. Navy Orlando Naval Training Center, which closed in 1999 and was later redeveloped into the Baldwin Park community.
“Orange County has a rich history and deep connection to the U.S. Navy. For three decades, we were the home to more than 652,000 graduating Navy recruits,” Mayor Jacobs said during her remarks. “The Lone Sailor Memorial ensures that every service man and woman serving our country today knows how much we appreciate their legacy of service and their commitment and dedication to our great country.”
In 2009, a community effort was initiated to honor the courage and sacrifice of those who began their naval careers in Orange County.
The monument is the 14th Lone Sailor Memorial in the nation and the first to be placed on former Navy grounds.
The Lone Sailor statue was created by Stanley Bleifeld, a Navy veteran of World War II, and contains two pieces; the Sailor, who stands 7 feet tall and weighs approximately 1,000 pounds, and his sea bag and cleat weighing 700 pounds. As part of the casting process, the bronze for the Lone Sailor was mixed with artifacts from eight U.S. Navy ships.
To view photos from the ceremony, visit Mayor Jacobs’ Flickr album.
