SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The sound of hundreds of dog tags in the wind filled the air at Mt. Soledad Saturday. The dog tags were part of the latest work by retired U.S. Navy Chief Joe Pisano.
"There’s about 2,500 dog tags," Pisano told me.
And each part of it has its own special meaning.
Pisano, a veteran himself, is the mastermind behind this art display called “The Guardian - Wings of Sacrifice.”
"There’s 11 on each side -- assimilated bullet holes -- to mark 11/11 Armistice Day," he explains. "And together 22 for the 22 daily suicides of our veterans bringing awareness and prevention."
After spending 24 years of his life serving his country, he wanted to continue to honor our men and women who serve through his art as well as include everyone's unique story.
"So for this, I invite the veterans to pick a dog tag, put their rank, name, branch of service and time they served," Pisano says. "Then I embossed their name and they become part of the art piece."
Dozens of people wrote their name or a loved one's in Pisano’s booklet to honor a veteran, myself included. And that's the goal of Pisano's art.
"We can put their names in there, and it becomes 'immortalizing their service,'" he says. "And it becomes this amazing piece that the community can be a part of for veterans and active duty."
The inspiration is all around him, from being raised in a Navy family to walking in their footsteps.
Pisano works on similar pieces in his studio at Liberty Station, all with the goal of paying tribute to the sacrifice and duty of military men and women.
And this latest display is no different for everyone to take part in.
"So it's really nice that people embrace it that way and know that they can be a part of something greater. That's part of the military, right — you join to be part of something much greater than yourself," he says.
