Warren “Whitey” Bernard is overwhelmed by the prospect of being immortalized in bronze.
Bernard is one of the central characters in the famous Wait For Me, Daddy photo taken on Oct. 1, 1940 by Province newspaper photographer Claude P Dettloff. As soldiers marched down Eighth Street toward Columbia Street, the five-year-old boy with white hair broke free from his mother to reach out to his father who was marching past.
The City of New has commissioned artists Veronica and Edwin Dam de Nogales to create a public art installation that will immortalize the iconic photo, one of the most famous images from the Second World War. While details of the sculptures are under wraps, Bernard has been given a peek at the drawings.
“My impression is it’s absolutely magnificent,” he told The Record Wednesday, while standing in the spot where the art will be unveiled later this year. “It’s very impressive.”
Coun. Lorrie Williams said the sculptures destined for Hyack Square will be situated on a podium.
“It’s very tall,” she said. “It’s a combination of two-dimensional and three dimensional. That’s all I am going to tell you. We want everybody to go ‘Aww’ when they see it.”
While Williams originally had her heart set on three bronze sculptures of the mother, father and little boy shown in Wait for Me, Daddy, she’s pleased with the design that’s been approved by the Wait for Me, Daddy task force.
“The vote for this particular model was unanimous,” she said. “I took one look at it and said, ‘Wow.’”
Dettloff snapped the photo of the boy dashing out to his father, one of the soldiers marching down Eighth Street to board a boat that would take them to army camp in Nanaimo.
Bernard visited New Westminster this week to attend one of the task force’s meetings. He’ll be back in town in October, playing a special role at the unveiling of the artwork.
“Evidently I am going to pull the string,” he said.
The sculpture will be unveiled on Oct. 1, 2014, at an event that will include a mini-march of soldiers. Canada Post will issue a stamp of the Wait for Me, Daddy image later this year.
“This is a pretty big effort and a lot of commitment by the city to do this, to enshrine it for time memorial,” Bernard said. “As a family, we really appreciated it. Not everybody gets cast in bronze.”
Bernard intends to donate some of the memorabilia he has on the photo, including magazines and newspaper clippings, to the City of New Westminster for its museum and archives.
“It’s going to be well looked after,” Williams said. “His family and generations coming after him will be able to come and see it. It will be looked after properly.”
Although the city has approved more than $300,000 toward the project, Williams is confident the city will be able to recoup some of its costs through sponsorship opportunities
“It’s a mix of traditional and modern,” Williams said. “It’s very unique.”
