From The Churchill Centre
On 6 May a new bust of Winston Churchill was unveiled at the Pentagon by
United States Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work and General Sir
Nicholas Houghton, Chief of the British Defence Staff. The finished
bronze, created at 1 1/2 times life-size, was crafted by British
sculptor Vivien Mallock and is a gift from the British Ministry of
Defence to the permanent collection of the United States Department of
Defense.
The unveiling ceremony was held in the Pentagon’s Hall
of Heroes and was attended by senior military officers of both nations,
including Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford, the recently
nominated Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with the
Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Air Force and the Chief of Naval
Operations, as well as the British counterparts. In addition to
Executive Director Lee Pollock, The Churchill Centre was represented by
Trustees Elliot Berke and Paul Brubaker.
In presenting the bust,
Sir Nicholas remarked: “How delighted Churchill himself would be to see
we are following the final piece of advice that he ever gave to his
ministers upon leaving Downing Street for the final time in 1955—‘Never
be separated from the Americans.’” The alliance between the United
States and Britain is more than just shared national interests, he
continued, “it is shared human ideals and a profound trust in
democracy.”
In accepting the bust, Secretary Work said: “It is a
most appropriate time to celebrate the legacy of Winston Churchill as
this Friday we mark the seventieth anniversary of VE-Day,
Victory-in-Europe day. Churchill did so much to make that victory
possible—along with the British people, who truly gave their blood,
sweat, and tears during that titanic struggle of the twentieth century.”
Centre Executive Director Lee Pollock expressed the appreciation of the
Churchill family and the artist for the placement of the bust and
thanked both Departments, as well as donors Alan Spence and John
Michaelson, for making it possible. After noting that Churchill was a
graduate of Sandhurst and that his first profession was that of army
officer, Pollock concluded: “In years to come, as you walk through this
corridor, pause for a moment and think of Winston Churchill. He still
has much to say to all of us today, civilian and military alike.”