The Grunt Figure
The Backbone of the American Military
The standing figure holding his weapon in an alert position depicts the common foot soldier in Vietnam – the backbone of the American military. In the slang of the war he was known as a “grunt”.
Sam Floca
First Infantry Division
As an infantry soldier, sixth-generation Texan Sam Floca was part of the core fighting force during the Vietnam War, and as a soldier with the First Infantry Division, he was part of a famed unit also known as the Big Red One.