The original painting, "Eagle's Watch" was done by artist Keith Biele. It was completed on 9 September 2005 and presented to David Minyard in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as witnessed by Dr. Steve Bucci, Immediate Staff Director to the SecDef. It was first viewed by the Public at the Pentagon on 11 September 2005 adjacent the 9-11-01 Memorial inside the Pentagon next to the Pentagon Memorial Chapel. The original is now placed and on loan until further notice in the Army Operations Center inside the Pentagon. It took Mr. Biele 110 hours to do the original painting which is appx 4ft by 5 ft in dimension.
The picture of the Pentagon is showing the south side where Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. In the sky are all 184 images and names of those lost at the Pentagon on 11 Sep 2001. Atop the images is an Eagle flying overhead, symbolizing "Eagle's Watch" .
The eagle represents
freedom. Living as he does on the tops of lofty mountains, amid the solitary
grandeur of Nature, he has unlimited freedom, whether with strong pinions he
sweeps into the valleys below, or upward into the boundless spaces beyond.
It is said the eagle was used as a
national emblem because, at one of the first battles of the Revolution (which
occurred early in the morning) the noise of the struggle awoke the sleeping
eagles on the heights and they flew from their nests and circled about over the
heads of the fighting men, all the while giving vent to their raucous cries.
"They are shrieking for Freedom," said the patriots.
Thus the eagle, full of the boundless
spirit of freedom, living above the valleys, strong and powerful in his might,
has become the national emblem of a country that offers freedom in word and
thought and an opportunity for a full and free expansion into the boundless
space of the future.
--Maude M. Grant
Below the images to the left and right are oval white shapes that represent the spirits of those in New York to the right, and Pennsylvania to the left - to tie all three locations together. On the left, you see the image of an Eagle in the attack position - to symbolize those defending the honor of those lost. In the center of the sky you can see the artists rendition of Jesus on the cross with His arms spread out to the left and right. This was to symbolize that God understands our pain. There are also two hands formed in the clouds one in the serving position, the other in the receiving position - the two aspects of life. The picture he used to paint from is a 20 yr old picture of the Pentagon, but represented the best visual picture for the work.
Since completion, David Minyard has authorized Giclee productions of the original to be honorably placed around the world with those who have supported the defense of freedom. They all, including the original, belong to him. This mission is to facilitate the building of relationships with those who defend freedom - person to person, nation to nation, in the hopes of true freedom for all.
What Defense Link News said about it
To see the painting in progress, click here
To see the original and the some of the Giclee's click here
To see the part of the process click here