Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd Monument - McMurdo Station
Details:
Displayed centrally on the back deck of the chalet.
The bronze bust of the famed explorer rests atop a polished Norwegian black marble pedestal that has inscriptions on the front and right sides. Inscribed on the front side of the pedestal is a commemoration message which includes a statement Rear Adm. Byrd had made during International Geophysical Year (IGY) operations in 1957. On the right side is an image of the Arctic Circle above an inscription about Rear Adm. Byrd’s expedition. The sculptor of the monument was Mr. Felix de Weldon, who is noted for his famous Iwo Jima war memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The McMurdo statue is a replica of the memorial to Rear Admiral Byrd which stands on the "Avenue of Heroes" in Washington, D.C. This memorial in McMurdo Station was dedicated by then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and donated by the National Geographic Society. The original site of the monument was next to a chapel (Chapel of the Snows). The monument was dedicated on October 25, 1965, the anniversary of Rear Adm. Byrd’s birthday. The pictures here are the most recent as this memorial was rearranged more than once. Two plaques flanking the monument could also be seen here. One plaque commemorates the US Navy and its operations in Antarctica then the other commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Operation Highjump.
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr., USN was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. He undertook five expeditions to Antarctica and made the first-ever flight over the South Pole on November 28, 1929. Byrd was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for heroism given by the United States.
Source of information: www.southpolestation.com, www.jeffreydonenfeld.com, quotes.yourdictionary.com, antarctic-logistics.com
Source of photos: www.jeffreydonenfeld.com
Monument Text:
Front Side:
RICHARD EVELYN BYRD
REAR ADMIRAL UNITED STATES NAVY
OCTOBER 25, 1888 • MARCH 11, 1957
I AM HOPEFUL THAT ANTARCTICA IN ITS SYMBOLIC
ROBE OF WHITE WILL SHINE FORTH AS A CONTINENT
OF PEACE AS NATIONS WORKING TOGETHER THERE
IN THE CAUSE OF SCIENCE SET AN EXAMPLE OF
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.
TO ALL WHO FOLLOW IN ADMIRAL BYRD'S FOOTSTEPS
THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Right Side:
(-Arctic Circle-)
FIRST TO FLY OVER THE NORTH POLE 1926
AND THE SOUTH POLE 1929
A PIONEER CONQUEROR OF THE ATLANTIC BY AIR 1927
