Disabled Veteran Scuba Divers Spruce Up Underwater Memorial

CLEARWATER, FL — Cleaning concrete statues usually takes no more than soap and water, a brush to get into those elusive creases and a bit of muscle.

But when those concrete statues are installed at the bottom of the ocean, cleaning them becomes a whole new challenge.

That's what eight disabled veterans discovered when they were asked to travel to Clearwater to clean the 13 life-size military statues that make up the Circle of Heroes.

Completed last August, the Circle of Heroes is the nation’s first underwater dive memorial honoring the country's veterans.

The statues, each standing 6-feet tall, are arranged in a circle 40 feet beneath the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, about 10 miles off Clearwater.

In the center, a single monument - weighing nearly 3 tons - features bronze emblems representing each of the U.S. armed forces — Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard.

The Circles of Heroes serves not only as a memorial for veterans and an attraction to divers but is a therapeutic dive site for disabled veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and trauma.

But after only a year beneath the sea, the statues were coated with barnacles, a buildup of sea salt and algae that couldn't be remedied with mere soap and water.

Brighter Future Florida, the nonprofit responsible for the Circle of Heroes, looked to another nonprofit organization for help.

Based in Arizona, the Deep Sea Valkyries work to enhance the lives of veterans with PTSD by introducing them to activities such as scuba diving.

The eight members of the Deep Sea Valkyries recently flew in from across the country to clean the concrete statues and the bronze markers.

Armed with specialized underwater cleaning tools including scrapers and drill brushes, the divers spent a day carefully chiseling away the accumulated sea life without compromising the works of art.

Brighter Future Florida hopes to eventually install 11 more life-size statues to complete the 100-foot Circle of Heroes and is seeking donations from the community. To make a donation, click here.

See related stories:

• Pinellas Plans For Country's 1st Underwater Veterans Memorial
• 1st Underwater Veterans Memorial Officially Opens
• Dedication Set For Nation's 1st Underwater Veterans Memorial
• U.S. Coast Guard Unveils Statue For Underwater Veterans Memorial