American Legion Post 53 continue 'Welcome Home' fundraising goal to keep statue

Matthew Baughman, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

EAU CLAIRE — If you have ever driven down Water St. or taken the sculpture tour in Eau Claire, this statue in front of the American Legion building may have caught your eye: A veteran made of bronze and missing a leg stands while giving a salute. The name of the sculpture reads at its base: “Stand for the Flag.”

“We were fortunate enough about two summers ago to have Sculpture Tour Eau Claire ask us if we could put the statue on our property, and we agreed to,” said Post Adjutant Brad Venaas. “As it sat here for two summers as part of the sculpture tour, we had an idea that maybe we would like to keep it here for all of us.”

With the “Welcome Home” campaign, the American Legion Wisconsin Post 53 in Eau Claire has been working to do just that. Through a variety of donations, fundraisers and grants which Venaas and Post 53 have been working hard to gather, Venaas said they have managed to collect $32,000 of the $50,000 needed to purchase the statue and give it a permanent home.

With the local American Legion post working on their fundraising goal, members were visited by the sculpture’s creators on Thursday.

The work was created by South Dakota-based artists Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby of Bad River Artworks, who have worked on other military and veteran-based works throughout their careers.

“We like telling narratives, our work is Americana — just like Norman Rockwell,” said Leuning. “There’s a lot of little things in it to see, and no one has to explain it to you.”

An important message of the piece is how significant it is to stand for a flag. Although most people know that the first flag is important in a parade, he said every flag you should stand attention to.

“The best part about the sculpture is to study his face. He is holding back tears but he never cries… He is honoring those guys that didn’t come home,” said Leuning.

Treeby said they were very happy to learn that the local American Legion who has housed the statue for two years was interested in buying it.

The American Legion hopes to complete the fundraiser soon with a number of events, including their chicken feed on the second Tuesday of each month.

Those looking to donate can contact Venaas at americanlegionwi53@gmail.com or 715-214-3510.