This is an excerpt of remarks sculptor Lawrence Ludtke, of Houston, made Sunday at the dedication of a monument in Gettysburg, Pa., to honor Marylanders who fought on both sides of the pivotal Civil War battle. To the right is a rendering of Mr. Ludtke's work.
IT IS AN EXTREME honor and a humbling experience to stand here at Gettysburg and realize that this monument honoring all Marylanders that fought here, those three terrible days in July of 1863, will stand on this site as long as there is a United States of America.
I made myself a few notes the other day as I was preparing to make this trip and found myself writing, "Gather thoughts for speech at Gettysburg." To think that President Lincoln could have made such a note himself, caused my heart to jump a beat.
I never dreamed when I began my career as a sculptor it would lead to this ground where so many men fought for causes they were willing to die for.
Never did I dream, I would be given the responsibility to create a monument to grace this battlefield. To have work placed beside those great sculptors of the past, such as Gutzon Borglum, Bush Brown and Donald DeLuc, was a challenge and a responsibility not taken lightly.
A work such as this is not created alone. There is the everlasting support of my wife, Erika, as I work each day. Then the talented mold makers and the foundry workers who pour and then chase and finish the bronze to the sculptor's specifications. All equally important in the final product.
This is a solemn occasion. It is my prayer that this bronze memorial depicting two Marylanders with different beliefs, yet coming together, after the whirling winds of war, will reinforce our will to honor our heroes and to see and carry with us the healing force necessary to keep our nation great.
May God bless the great state of Maryland, may God preserve the memory of the valor and sacrifice of the Confederacy and may God bless the United States of America.