"Iron Mike" Paratrooper in Ft. Bragg
Pictures and text by Kevin A. Darby
These pictures show the Airborne Trooper aka "Iron Mike". Iron Mike is located on Ft Bragg in North Carolina, right between the officers club and Post Headquarters. Ft Bragg is affectionately known as the home of the airborne and is home to nearly 50k soldiers known as paratroopers.
(Insert by Mark Hatlie: I am told that this is not the "real" "Iron Mike". The real one is at Fort Benning. See https://www.infantry.army.mil/museum/off_site_tour/iron_mike.htm.
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This photo was taken standing about ten feet away from the front of the Airborne Trooper. |
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This is a photo of one of the two inscriptions I mentioned in the previous photo. It shows to whom the statue is dedicated and why. The Airborne Trooper is representative of all of the paratroopers here on Ft. Bragg. The inscription instills a sense of pride to all those who wear the silver wings of the airborne soldier. . |
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This photo gives the name of the Sculptress and Assistant Sculptor. It also gives the names of the Technician and Constructor . |
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This picture was taken standing directly underneath Iron Mike. I think this photo gives the impression that the statue is very tall as it almost seems to tower into the blue skies above it, indeed Iron Mike himself measured from his heel to the top of his helmet, stands over 16 feet tall. |
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I find that this photo reveals the most detail of the Airborne Trooper. This side view reveals the weapon the Airborne Trooper is holding more clearly than from any other angle. Most of the photos you would see of Iron Mike are taken from this vantage point more than any other view.. |
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This is obviously a rear view shot of Iron Mike, not a vantage point one would often see, but I think it gives the observer perhaps the point of view from which Iron Mike sees things. It almost looks as though he's going to ,"CHARRRRGE!", down the street!. |
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This picture looks almost like a post card shot when I look at it. The memorial is not only the Iron Mike, but also the immediate settings around him, the lights, and the flowers.. |
