The Eagle
The Freedom Fighter
The Culmination of a Career
In the summer of 2002 while boating with friends on the St. Lawrence River, Jim observed a family of four Bald Eagles, two adults and two young, high up in a nest on a neighboring island. He became inspired. He watched them all through the summer, making note of their habits and characteristics as well as photographing them constantly.
Upon his return to Sanibel he set out to create his first life-sized Bald Eagle, and at the beginning of 2003, this Eagle sculpture was purchased by friends of Florida Gulf Coast University to be placed in the new student union building. The mascot of FGCU is the Eagle and images of Jim's Eagle now grace the covers of many of the University publications.
In the winter of 2003 while on Sanibel Island for a refuge visit, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton remarked how appropriate it would be to have one of Jim's Eagles placed in the White House, especially after the events of '9/11' and all that has since transpired around the world. Discussions ensued, official doors were opened and the White House concurred with Secretary Norton. Generous friends of Jim on Sanibel and Captiva Islands came together to donate the funds to make this happen.
By mid-October, "Freedom Fighter" was completed and then came the logistical nightmare of transporting the fragile sculpture to the White House. Coordination problems among the White House, the Secret Service and the FBI were resolved due to the efforts of our District Representative Porter Goss's Fort Myers and DC office staffs. At 3:05 p.m., on Monday, March 1st, 2004, Jim and Porter Goss walked into the Oval Office of the White House to present the piece to President George W. Bush. A scheduled five-minute visit turned into a fifteen-minute one as they discussed baseball and kids. As Jim turned for one last glance at "Freedom Fighter", President Bush called out, "Don't worry, Jim, I'll take good care of the Eagle for you."
There are no words that can adequately describe the pride that Jim has, knowing that his sculpture is displayed as a symbol of the American spirit and love of country. Acclaim for this project has already come from many areas, but cannot compare to his feelings of personal achievement, for this is truly the highlight of his carving career.
 Jim, son James, Porter Goss and "Freedom Fighter" |
 At the White House |
A FOOTNOTE
Jim donated the one-third size model that he used in the design of the White House "Freedom Fighter" to Sanibel Cares, an annual event to benefit The Children's Hospital at Health Park, Fort Myers, Florida.
On April 3rd 2004 this sculpture was sold in live auction for $40,000. The entire amount went towards providing additional beds for the Children's Observation Unit and for the purchase of technologically advanced incubators for the neonatal ICU, the only local facility of its kind.
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To read an in-depth article on the actual carving and painting of "Freedom Fighter, please go to http://www.wildfowl-carving.com. There you may find other articles about and by Jim.
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To read more about Sanibel-Captiva Cares and the Lee Memorial Hospital Foundation, please go to www.leememorial.org/foundation.
See more photos in the Photo Gallery
