Wanek's WWII statues a rare gift to industry

What would it be like to see yourself memorialized in bronze?

I was pondering that question during the recent High Point Market as I waited for Pat Norton to provide his answer.

As a humble journalist, I will never win fame and fortune – and a statue. But I can interview those who loom large in our industry.

Pat Norton, a legend at La-Z-Boy, is a true giant. Thus it was entirely appropriate that he was about to experience what must be one of life’s greatest thrills: Seeing a larger-than-life statue of yourself.

I was standing in the Ashley showroom, where bronze sculptures of three members of the “Greatest Generation,” the generation that fought and won World War II, had been unveiled. Work on the statues was overseen by long-time sculptor Ron Wanek, Ashley’s chairman.

I was standing behind Norton when he walked up to his towering statue, which stood between statues of Louis Blumkin of Nebraska Furniture Mart and Howard Miskelly of Miskelly Furniture. Each of the statues stood on pedestals. The three World War II warriors looked out at the lobby, in youthful poses modeled from pictures taken of them during the war.

I gave Norton several moments to silently study his statue, which depicted him as a 21-year-old airman, his arms at his side and a confident expression on his face. Then I asked him what he thought. “Naturally,” Norton responded, “I’m shocked. I don’t know that I deserve all the accolades. A lot of guys did a lot of things in World War II.”

Norton made a difference in the war. A member of the Army Air Force, he figured out how to improve the performance of the guns on his B-26 bomber, shooting down two Japanese planes on one mission, and receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross for his accomplishments.

He dodged death on a number of occasions during his 33 combat missions in the Southwest Pacific. Today Norton, 84, is the only one left of the seven men on his flight crew. He was lucky, he said.

Blumkin, now 87, and Miskelly, 81, were also survivors. Both fought their way across Europe during the war. Miskelly ended the war at the Elbe River, where the Allies met the Russians. Blumkin helped liberate the prisoners at Dachau.
Now they, too, have been given the unique privilege of seeing themselves enshrined in bronze.

Ron Wanek has given those three World War II fighters a rare gift. And he has given the industry a timely reminder of the power of patriotism.