Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Slentz.
Hi Christina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The mission of the League of Wives Memorial Project (LWMP) is to create a memorial statue in Coronado to honor Mrs. Sybil Stockdale and the League of Wives for playing a major role in both our local and national history. This monument will simultaneously honor today’s military spouse and will reflect the unique, generous support Coronado continues to provide to military families today. This memorial will be the first public monument in the country to honor military spouses.
Coronado is not only the “birthplace of Naval Aviation,” it is also the birthplace of “The League of Wives” movement and was home to Mrs. Sybil Stockdale, leader and founder of this group of military wives of imprisoned or missing Service Members during the Vietnam War.
In refusing the original ‘Keep Quiet’ governmental policy, and by going public with the status of their husbands in 1968, The League of Wives helped bring an end to the torture of the Vietnam POWs and influenced U.S. government policy, contributing to the safe return of 591 Service Members in 1973. These actions broke with traditional expectations and forever transformed the role of the military spouse, giving a voice to military families that remains critical to the well-being and readiness of our Armed Services today.
Founded by Coronadan Brad Willis and a group of predominantly military spouses in 2021, the League of Wives Memorial Project (LWMP) began working closely with historian Heath Hardage Lee, author of the book The League of Wives (italicize), and sculptors Chris Slatoff and Elisabeth Pollnow to develop the memorial design with input from the League Ladies still living in the greater San Diego area, the Stockdale family, and the Vietnam POW community. Receiving over 1,000 petition signatures of support in a matter of a few weeks, the LWMP requested consideration by the Coronado Cultural Arts Commission for donation to the City of Coronado, further refining the overall presentation of the memorial through the City’s approval process. On July 19, 2022, the City of Coronado approved the design for placement in Coronado’s Star Park and agreed to cover the additional projected $100,000 installation cost.
An all-volunteer organization, The LWMP has currently raised approximately $250,000 of the total projected cost of $363,000, which reflects the sculpture cost of $343,000 as well as a 5.5% operational expense rate. We have received a $25,000 matching pledge if we can raise the remaining funds by the end of 2023. We plan to do it and aim to celebrate the installation of the memorial in May 2024, marking the month of the military spouse!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Overall, our journey has been very smooth as the story of The League of Wives is very compelling. Our bumps in the road have mainly arisen out of great love for this story, and different angles of relationship people have related to the League Ladies, resulting in different preferences for the presentation of the memorial.
A very difficult decision was how to create a design that reflects both the local as well as national nature of The League of Wives impact. Local groups of military spouses have supported each other throughout times of war and conflict since time began. What makes the League of Wives historical is that they went from gathering around the proverbial and literal dining room table to the international negotiating table in their effort to bring home their husbands. To capture this breadth, we chose to feature specifically the figure of Sybil Stockdale, the founder of the League and longtime resident of Coronado, flanked by three female figures who are not specific individuals but rather symbolic representatives of the national population of wives who began this movement. In so doing, we intend to be inclusive of all those who participated, near and far.
In addition, we leave a small space in the grouping, where one standing at the plaque to read about the history becomes part of the circle of the life-sized figures. The viewer might imagine him or herself a continuation of the values demonstrated by The League of Wives. In this way, the memorial is a living monument.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
This effort belongs to a collaboration of longtime residents of the City of Coronado and the local military community; therefore, I find it more fitting to speak to the life of this relationship rather than the personal background of the organizational leadership.
The greater San Diego area is recognized nationally for its capacity to cross the military-civilian social divide that exists more broadly throughout our country, and I, Christina Bagaglio Slentz (co-chair of the League of Wives Memorial Project with Alexia Palacios-Peters), believe the successful co-ownership of this project is a powerful testament to this unique relationship. While we have received some national support, our funding has predominantly come from Coronado and the greater San Diego area.
More specifically, this memorial highlights the amazing capacity of military spouses, who over and over again demonstrate graceful resolve in times of struggle. They serve both the military community–as military family advocates, mentors to their fellow spouses, and champions of their Service Members–as well as their local communities as some of the most dedicated volunteers, resilient members of the workforce, and civilly engaged next-door neighbors.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Books related to the story:
In Love and War, by Admiral and Mrs. Stockdale
Six Stages of Being a POW Wife, by Sybil Stockdale
The League of Wives, by Heath Hardage Lee
Unwavering, by Taylor Baldwin Kiland and Judy Silverstein Gray
Podcasts:
https://www.militarytimes.com/podcasts/2023/01/25/at-last-a-memorial-honoring-military-spouses/
https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/episode/140
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leagueofwives.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiN2lYWIqPk
