Operation Dog Tag to Extend Tribute to Veterans

"Thank You" is an eagle with a seven-foot wingspan with armor and feathers made in part with replications of veteran's dog tags.

Artist Cathy Ann Janes said the statue began in 2009 when she asked in Imperial Beach to put a jar at the bar to collect donations, and ended up with a place to build the sculpture, hundreds in donations and a helping hand when she needed it.

It couldn't have been made without support from IB veterans, she said.

"I'm not even from here, and everybody just jumped to help," she said. "At the end I was behind in getting it finished, and sculpting in National City, and two guys with drills in their hands showed up and stayed up all night long to add those dog tags."

After being a part of the Port of San Diego's Urban Trees project and on-display in front of the USS Midway with the names of vets from World War II to Iraq to Afghanistan, the statue was donated to the FRA in IB.

Those killed or missing in action are honored with a .

Continuing the tribute, Operation Dog Tag kicks off Saturday at 5 p.m. with a moment of silence, then a BBQ and live music at FRA Branch 289.

Living or dead, veterans or the friends and families of veterans can have a replication of a veteran's dog tag added to pillars that will be constructed alongside the "Thank You" statue.

$10 donations will go to the Warrior Foundation of San Diego and Freedom House, who provide transitional housing for active duty service men and women returning from deployments.

Even before ODT officially begins Saturday, the extension of the tribute is again shaping up to be a community effort, Janes said, with support from active duty sailors in Coronado and elsewhere.

"It's a love thing, man," she said. "I'm just not going to stop until everybody knows."

"I think people need to say thank you to all our veterans for their sacrifice and commitments, and I thought that was a nice way to display it. Because they are the ones that make it safe, and make it happen here for us," Janes said.

Veterans and the friends and families of veterans from all branches of service are invited to be a part of the project.

"I don't see a segregation between any of the branches whatsoever", she said. "Whether you're a Navy SEAL or a cook on a supply ship, you're still doing your part," she said.

Janes is a poet, a veteran and an artist. She moved to Imperial Beach last December to be closer to her son, a Navy SEAL veteran currently attending Point Loma Nazarene University.