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AUSA becomes “Regimental Sponsor” to Old Guard Memorial
April 26, 2010

The Old Guard Monument Foundation (OGMF) announced today that The Association of the United States Army (AUSA), a private, non-profit educational organization committed to support Army, its soldiers and families, has pledged to support the effort to place a monument to the 3rd. U.S. Army Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at Fort Myer, Virginia, the regiment’s headquarters.

In a letter to OGMF Executive Director Jim Laufenburg, AUSA’s vice president for finance and administration, Lt. Gen. Tom Rhame, USA, Ret., praised the effort to honor the Old Guard and committed the organization to become a “Regimental Sponsor,” a giving level that begins at $100,000. The letter stated that AUSA “will provide cash grants and other resources to help see the monument through to completion.” 

Laufenburg, a retired Army colonel, was the Regimental Commander of The Old Guard from 2001 to 2003 and was the original promoter of the monument. While still on active duty, he encouraged a group of volunteers from the private sector to lay the groundwork for a 501 (c)(3) organization that today plans to break ground for a 2011 dedication of the monument. In 2008, the U.S. Army formally accepted the monument as a gift from the Foundation.

Central to the monument is sculpture created by Barbara (B.J.) Mungenast of St. Louis, MO. It features three nine-foot high military figures positioned on a circular granite pedestal, representing aspects of the Old Guard’s history and mission. Their monumental presence is under the flag of the United States that they revere and protect.

The sculpture will rest on a plaza designed in an artistic collaboration of Michael Bratti of R. Bratti Associates and Alex Zaras of Zaras and Neudorfer Architects. When dedicated, the monument will be a source of pride for The Old Guard, the residents of nearby “General’s Row” and the many visitors who attend official ceremonies throughout the year.

In response to the gift, Laufenburg lauded the AUSA and its unwavering support for The Old Guard Monument over the years. “It was one of the first organizations to give us encouragement and donations, allowing us to have reached the point that we are at today. I am very grateful for this new and significant commitment of support.” 

More about the OGMF can be found at www.theoldguardmonument.org, and AUSA at www.ausa.org.

Contact: Ashley Hawken 703 836.8208 (O) 571.214.2731 (C) www.ahawken@gvcommunications.com