Why Are We Doing This?

by | Mar 3, 2011 | Blog, General

Many people ask my why we took on such an immense project. That is a reasonable question. Carl Regutti, an award winning sculptor and chemist, and I refined a technique to do very high-resolution etching on oxide or PVD colored stainless steel. We began R&D in 2004 and continued experiments through 2006. Due to the nature of the coating and the durability of 316 stainless, these etched pieces should survive the elements for thousands of years. During this R&D, Carl and I began contemplating how we might honor our military heroes. Both of us are getting older, and neither of us served in the military. Carl has a brother who is a high-ranking military officer. My father was in the OSS during WWII and my mother was a stenographer on the War Crimes Trials in Nuremberg. She later worked for the CIA and then US Customs as an inspections supervisor. We both feel very strongly about the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep this country free. We researched the DC memorials and read how long they took to put in place. By the time the WWII Memorial was completed the parents of the fallen had all passed away, never getting to see the tribute to these heroes. The Commemorative Works Act adds another impediment to the memorial process. So we designed a memorial that features the black, surgical stainless steel tributes we perfected in the lab. Honoring our fallen heroes in the wars on terrorism was our first thought. After conversations with representatives in DC who oversee monuments, we were advised that if we wanted...

A Great Song

by | Mar 2, 2011 | Blog, Military

I was searching through military related sites last night, and I ran across one that featured a song by Trish Lester. This is a very moving song. I thought that you might like to hear...

Bank of America

by | Mar 1, 2011 | Blog, General

I just started to compile my list of NC based corporations to approach about sponsoring a tribute to a local fallen warrior. If you have not read about our Sponsor A Tribute program, a sponsorship is only $3,500. (That program has been discontinued.) A few years ago you may remember reading this headline: Bank of America will receive $20 billion in fresh US government aid and $118 billion worth of guarantees against bad assets. Bank of America has an online form to apply for grants. Here’s what I discovered. The following is from the Bank of America website. The following organizations are not eligible for funding: Organizations that deny service to a potential client or beneficiary on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, veteran, or disability status Individuals, including those seeking scholarships or fellowship assistance Political, labor, fraternal organizations, or civic clubs Religious organizations (for example, churches and synagogues). Some secular community service programs such as soup kitchens, shelters for the homeless, and job banks are eligible, even when sponsored by religious groups. Individual pre-K-12 schools (public or private) Sports, athletic events, or athletic programs Travel-related events, including student trips or tours Development or production of books, films, videos, or television programs Memorial campaigns I was shocked. Here’s a company who gladly took billions of tax payer dollars and they post a list like this! Based on their restrictions, a grant submission would be futile. What are these people...