The Three Soldiers The Three Soldiers ( also known as The Three Servicemen ) is a bronze statue on the Washington , DC National Mall commemorating the Vietnam War . It was created and designed to complement the Vietnam Veterans Memorial , by adding a more traditional component to the Memorial . Sculpture design and symbolism . This well - known sculpture by Frederick Hart portrays three young uniformed American soldiers . While the military attire is meant to be symbolic and general in nature , the combat equipment displayed represents the figures as serving in either the U . S . Army , or U . S . Marine Corps during the Vietnam War . Of the three men , the lead figure ( in the middle ) represents a Marine , as he wears a Type M - 1955 body armor vest , which was worn exclusively by Marines in Vietnam . He is armed only with a Colt M1911A1 . 45 caliber automatic pistol , which is carried in a Government Issue ( GI ) M - 1916 leather pistol holster , positioned on the right hip . The M - 1916 holster is attached to an M - 1956 GI pistol belt , and a small GI . 45 pistol magazine pouch is carried on the belt ' s left front . The Marine wears a body - armor vest ( but no shirt ) , along with Tropical Combat trousers and boots ; he wears no headgear . Like his comrades , he carries a pair of plastic GI 1 - quart canteens , carried in two M - 1956 canteen covers that are attached to his pistol belt , and situated at the rear center hip . The man on the right wears combat equipment consistent with a U . S . Army Soldier , and specifically , a Type M69 body armor vest , which was the primary armor vest used mainly by U . S . Army personnel in Vietnam , from about 1967 on . His M69 armor vest is unsecured , and worn fully open at the front , which was a typical fashion of troops in Vietnam , as a measure in which to promote ventilation ( in spite of reducing the vest ' s overall protective levels ) . Draped around the collar of his M69 vest and hanging on his chest front , this Soldier carries a GI towel , which served to absorb sweat and cushioned heavy loads , and was a common practice of many Soldiers in Vietnam . In his left hand he carries an M16A1 rifle , the main battle rifle for both Soldiers and Marines , from about 1967 on . His uniform consists of the Tropical Combat Uniform ( jacket and trousers ) and " jungle " boots . As was typically done by U . S . combat personnel fighting in the oppressive tropical environment of Vietnam , the uniform jacket ' s sleeves are rolled up . In his right hand , this Soldier holds an M1 steel helmet covered with a camouflage cover , that is secured over the helmet with an elastic headband ( which itself retains a small bottle of GI insect repellent on the right side ) . He also wears an M - 1956 GI pistol belt over the waist of his uniform jacket , and it retains a GI 1 - quart canteen and M - 1956 canteen cover , situated at the left rear hip . Lastly , on a GI neck chain set , he wears a pair of GI Identification Tags ( i . e . " Dog Tags " ) , which are visible on his bare chest , seen through the open front of his uniform jacket and armor vest . The man on the left is slightly less specific in the service representation of his gear and uniform , but he appears to be a U . S . Army Soldier , as he wears a Tropical ( " Boonie " ) Hat , which was widely worn by Army combat personnel in Vietnam ( particularly towards the latter part of the war ) , and to a much lesser extent by Marines . His uniform consists of the Tropical Combat Jacket and Trousers , and " jungle " boots . Like his comrade on his far left , his uniform jacket ' s sleeves are rolled up . This man wears no body armor , and is armed only with an M60 machine gun , and he carries two separate belts of 7 . 62mm machine gun ammunition draped and criss - crossed over his torso . He is also wearing an M17 Protective ( Gas ) Mask carrier on his left thigh , although U . S . troops infrequently wore or used gas masks in Vietnam . ( They were used primarily when tear gas ( CS gas ) was employed in combat , such as by tunnel rats , and by troops engaged in urban / city combat , such as the Marines in Hue City in January and February , 1968 ) . Under his uniform jacket , he also wears a GI M - 1956 pistol belt , with two M - 1956 canteen covers that are attached , each carrying a GI 1 - quart canteens , and situated at the right rear hip . In order to portray the major ethnic groups that were represented in the ranks of U . S . combat personnel that served in Vietnam , the statue ' s three men are purposely identifiable as Caucasian ( the lead man ) , African American ( man on right ) , and Hispanic ( man on left ) . These three figures were based on six actual young men models , of which two ( the Caucasian , and the African - American ) were active - duty Marines at the time that the sculpture was commissioned . The Caucasian figure was modeled after James E . Connell , III , then a Corporal in the Marines ; the African - American figure was modeled after three men , Marine Corporal Terrance Green , Rodney Sherrill and Scotty Dillingham ; the Hispanic figure was modeled after Guillermo Smith De Perez DeLeon . The Three Soldiers statue was designed to supplement the Vietnam Veterans Memorial , by adding a more traditional component such as a statue that depicted warriors from that respective war . The statue , unveiled on Veterans Day , 1984 , was designed by Frederick Hart , who placed third in the original memorial design competition . Artist ' s intent . Of the memorial , the architect has suggested , ' I see the wall as a kind of ocean , a sea of sacrifice that is overwhelming and nearly incomprehensible in the sweep of names . I place these figures upon the shore of that sea , gazing upon it , standing vigil before it , reflecting the human face of it , the human heart . The portrayal of the figures is consistent with history . They wear the uniform and carry the equipment of war ; they are young . The contrast between the innocence of their youth and the weapons of war underscores the poignancy of their sacrifice . There is about them the physical contact and sense of unity that bespeaks the bonds of love and sacrifice that is the nature of men at war . And yet they are each alone . Their strength and their vulnerability are both evident . Their true heroism lies in these bonds of loyalty in the face of their awareness and their vulnerability . ' The statue and the Wall appear to interact with each other , with the soldiers looking on in solemn tribute at the names of their fallen comrades . Noted sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter , Hart ' s assistant on the project , explains the sculpture was positioned especially for that effect : " We carried a full - size mockup of the soldiers around the memorial site trying many locations until we hit upon the perfect spot . It was here that the sculpture appeared to be looking over a sea of the fallen . " Controversies . There were two major controversies regarding this portion of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial : the design of the Wall which led to the commissioning of this piece ; and subsequent issues involving copyright , and allegations of profiteering regarding the Vietnam War POW / MIA issue . Creation and installation . Negative reactions to Maya Lin ' s design for the Memorial wall were so strong that several Congressmen complained , and Secretary of the Interior James G . Watt refused to issue a building permit . Hart ' s sculpture was commissioned to stand beside the wall in order to appease those who wanted a more traditional approach . Lin was furious at the adulteration of her design ; so much so that this portion was placed a distance away from the memorial wall in order to minimize the impact on her design . Still , Lin refused to attend the dedication of the sculpture . Copyright and profit . Hart was paid $ 200 , 000 for the commission of the statue , which is four times what Maya Lin received for the prize - winning design of the Memorial Wall . The design of " The Three Soldiers " was copyrighted by Hart and the VVMF . Reproductions were sold on many pieces of memorabilia , including t - shirts , keychain s , and snowglobe s . Hart donated his share of the profits to a non - profit which provides name rubbing s to families of veterans . Replica . A replica of the sculpture was created and dedicated on July 12 , 2008 , in Apalachicola , Florida .