The Circle of Heroes is an underwater military veterans memorial 10 miles off the coast of Honeymoon Island State Park in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the first underwater veterans memorial.[1]
The memorial
The statues were placed during the week of July 22, 2019 after 2-1/2 years of planning and creating.[2][3] It was dedicated on August 5, 2019 and currently has thirteen 6-foot tall statues at a depth of 40 feet underwater with plans to add an additional twelve statues.[4] At the center, there is a 4 foot high, 3-ton pentagon shaped monument with the emblems from five military branches, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy.[5][6] The statues form a 100 foot circle around the center monument.[6] The memorial is considered a recreational dive site.
^Dickstein, Corey. "Memorial shows deep gratitude", Stars and Stripes (United States Edition) (in partnership with Tampa Bay Times), volume 11, number 36, August 15, 2019, age 14. (subscription required)
^Dyhouse, Janie. "VFW's Image 'Shines' Under the Sea", VFW Magazine, volume 107, Number 3, November/December 2019, page 23.
