VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Seventy-five years ago, the Navy SEALs, then known as the Scouts and Raiders, got their start in Virginia Beach.
Until Thursday, there was no way to publicly honor the service and sacrifice of the elite fighting force.
Recommended Videos
A Navy SEAL monument was unveiled at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Thursday. The monument depicts the rich history of the SEAL program and the city's part in its story.
The monument's centerpiece is a statue of a warrior that stands 6 feet tall.
At the monument's base is sand from more than 100 locations worldwide where important missions have been carried out. Along the back portion of the tribute, there are 292 gold stars, one for every Navy SEAL killed in the line of duty, and eight paw prints for their fallen K-9s.
The warrior is purposefully life-sized, rather than larger than life, like some other statues along the boardwalk. It's a quiet nod to the SEAL mindset that they should be ordinary men who do extraordinary things.
Ret. Navy SEAL Capt. Rick Woolard secured private funding and architectural work. The city of Virginia Beach will maintain the monument.