Churchill Bust Donated to Pentagon by UK Ministry of Defence

From The Churchill Centre

On 6 May a new bust of Winston Churchill was unveiled at the Pentagon by United States Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work and General Sir Nicholas Houghton, Chief of the British Defence Staff. The finished bronze, created at 1 1/2 times life-size, was crafted by British sculptor Vivien Mallock and is a gift from the British Ministry of Defence to the permanent collection of the United States Department of Defense.

The unveiling ceremony was held in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes and was attended by senior military officers of both nations, including Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph  Dunford, the recently nominated Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with the Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Air Force and the Chief of Naval Operations, as well as the British counterparts. In addition to Executive Director Lee Pollock, The Churchill Centre was represented by Trustees Elliot Berke and Paul Brubaker.

In presenting the bust, Sir Nicholas remarked: “How delighted Churchill himself would be to see we are following the final piece of advice that he ever gave to his ministers upon leaving Downing Street for the final time in 1955—‘Never be separated from the Americans.’” The alliance between the United States and Britain is more than just shared national interests, he continued, “it is shared human ideals and a profound trust in democracy.”

In accepting the bust, Secretary Work said: “It is a most appropriate time to celebrate the legacy of Winston Churchill as this Friday we mark the seventieth anniversary of VE-Day, Victory-in-Europe day. Churchill did so much to make that victory possible—along with the British people, who truly gave their blood, sweat, and tears during that titanic struggle of the twentieth century.”

Centre Executive Director Lee Pollock expressed the appreciation of the Churchill family and the artist for the placement of the bust and thanked both Departments, as well as donors Alan Spence and John Michaelson, for making it possible. After noting that Churchill was a graduate of Sandhurst and that his first profession was that of army officer, Pollock concluded: “In years to come, as you walk through this corridor, pause for a moment and think of Winston Churchill. He still has much to say to all of us today, civilian and military alike.”