The Gen. 'Chappie' James bridge is almost done, but what's the progress on his monument?
Construction of the Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Bridge is starting to wind down, and construction of a memorial plaza honoring the bridge's namesake will start gearing up soon.
The plaza will be erected near the foot of the Pensacola side of the new bridge to Gulf Breeze and will honor James, a Pensacola native and the country's first African-American four-star general.
Chris Dosev, chairman of the General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. Memorial Foundation, describes where they are in the process as the “terminal phase” where they are focused on the completion of the project, which has been in the works since 2019.
“We want to show people here that we do not forget the people that have made great contributions to our country, that individual in this particular case being Gen. James,” Dosev said. “We want to welcome people into the city, and we thought it was no more appropriate than to be welcomed by our hometown hero.”
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The hope is to have construction start by April 1 or early spring.
The foundation has received funding for the three major elements of the plaza: a 10 foot bronze statue of James, a restored F-4 Phantom II fighter jet, and for the flagpole and flag. The foundation continues to raise funds for the surrounding plaza.
Acquiring the F-4 Phantom II fighter jet was as important piece of the project because it was the last aircraft that James flew in combat in Vietnam. It is also a universal aircraft that originated in the Navy and was flown by the Air Force and the Marine Corps, giving the F-4 a lot of significance within a veteran-heavy community like Pensacola.
The statue is in the process of being covered in clay where all the details will be added. It will then be inspected by sculptor Ed Dwight, former Air Force test pilot and the country's first African-American astronaut candidate, who will give his critique. It will then go to a foundry where molds of the clay sculpture will be created and casting of the bronze statue will begin.
It will take about four months for the foundry to complete its work and ready the statue for installation, according to project officials.
Currently, the westbound span of the bridge is expected to open for public use sometime in February.
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Randy New, the project manager, grew up in a military family that moved to Pensacola in the '80s and is working with Dwight on the statue.
“It's an honor for me to work with both trailblazers, to work with Ed Dwight, who's a world renowned sculptor and the first black astronaut candidate,” New said. “And then also, to be working on a project memorializing Chappie James, who's one of Pensacola’s biggest heroes. So I’m kind of lucky that I get to do both things and work with both of them.”
He said he knows everyone else in Pensacola will feel the same pride when the statue is finally completed.
James is widely respected for persevering through discrimination in the country and showing people he was worthy of leadership, and the people building his monument believe his level of accomplishment is one every Pensacola citizen and child should strive toward.
Dosev hopes the monument recognizing James will inspire the youth in the community to work towards excellence, to do things that make them better citizens and better contributors to the future of our country.
“I hope people will recognize what Gen. James wanted to instill in his fellow Americans. And that was that this country is worth fighting for,” Dosev said. “And this country, in spite of its flaws, requires all of our efforts to make it better, and I think that epitomized his life.”
To help with funding The Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Memorial go to generalchappiejamesmemorial.org/donate/
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Memorial begins construction in spring
