In preparation for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, the American Battle Monuments Commission selected The Armbruster Company to create and install new artwork for the Navy Memorial to the Battle of Midway. The Navy Memorial stands on Midway Atoll, the center of the great naval battle which was “the turning point of the war in the Pacific.” *
After extensive researching, Mr. Armbruster composed a scene with the Navy’s Dauntless dive bombers flying over the three Japanese aircraft carriers that were destroyed in a six minute attack. The artwork was produced in mosaic concrete, a medium that is both beautiful and extremely durable. The Memorial’s original, painted artwork had suffered irreparable damage because of its outdoor exposure to the weather.
Mosaic concrete artwork is created by crushing dozens of colors of glass into 1/8" pebbles and fine sand. These are combined with white cement and pigments to create miniature concrete that is placed into intricate molds during a 12 hour casting process. The next day, when the concrete hardens, tiny wire brushes are used to expose the glass in the surface of the mosaic concrete panel.
In an unforgettable experience, Mr. Armbruster and master craftsman, Carlos Garcia, traveled 5,600 miles to Midway Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a National Memorial and a National Wildlife Refuge, to install the new artwork in the Navy Memorial.
* Vice Adm. Thomas H. Copeman III
