Roberto Clemente is given one of the 250 statues from the National Garden of Heroes

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The Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente, a player whose name was written down in posterity for the way he died in an effort to help others, is one of 250 figures to be honored with a statue in the National Garden of American Heroes, a project commissioned by the outgoing United States President Donald J. Trump.

In an executive order dated Jan. 18, Trump reviewed the intent of the project, the original idea of ​​which dates back to earlier, on July 3, 2020.

As established by Trump himself in the recent executive order, “In this country, belief in the greatness and goodness of the United States has been attacked in recent months and years by dangerous anti-American extremism that seeks to dismantle our country’s history, institutions and identity.”

The president cited several incidents of vandalism against monuments, explaining that the National Garden is one way to respond to those acts.

“In Executive Order 13934 of July 3, 2020 (Building and rebuilding monuments for American heroes), I established the policy of the United States to establish a sculpture park called the National Garden of American Heroes (National Garden). To begin the process of building this new monument honoring the greatness of our country, I established the Interagency Task Force for the Construction and Reconstruction of Monuments to American Heroes (Task Force) and commissioned its members to plan construction of the garden. National. The working group has informed me that it has completed the first phase of its work and is ready to continue. This order revises Executive Order 13934 and provides additional instructions to the Task Force, ”reads part of the document published by the White House on its official website.

Among the statue-bearing personalities are jazz icon Louis Armstrong; one of the pioneers of the animation industry, writer and film producer Walt Disney; astronaut Neil Armstrong; Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross; the philosopher, theologian, and pastor Jonathan Edwards; the scientist and inventor of the telephone Alexander Graham Bell; co-inventor Thomas Alva Edison; the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic by plane, Amelia Earhart; the scientific genius and philosopher Albert Einstein; businessman magnate Henry Ford; singer, musician and actor Elvis Presley (the King of Rock and Roll); and singer and music producer Fran Sinatra; as well as several former presidents of the United States, starting with the first, George Washington.

Clemente isn’t the only athlete to make an appearance at the National Garden. También estarán Muhammad Ali, Herb Brooks, Jesse Owens, Kobe Bryant, Lou Gehrig, Vince Lombardi, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Jim Thorpe, and Cy Young.

“The National Garden will be built to reflect the breathtaking splendor of our country’s timeless exceptional character. It will be a place where citizens, young and old, can renew their vision of greatness and meet the challenge I gave all Americans in my first speech to Congress, ”Trump added in the document.

The group of recognizable figures will be the only Puerto Rican Clemente, who died when the plane he was traveling in fell into the sea with supplies to help the victims of the December 1972 Nicaragua earthquake. The Puerto Rican was the first Hispanic player to achieve 3,000 hits in Major League Baseball, and the first to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Visitors will come and learn the amazing stories of some of the best Americans who ever lived. The National Garden will feature a list of heroes who deserve honor, recognition and enduring tribute for the battles they have won, the ideas they defended, the illnesses they heal, the lives they saved, the heights they attained and the hope they had. “

Part of the work of the group designated for this project is to identify the suitable location for the establishment of the National Garden, according to the implementing decree.

“The Secretary of the Interior will provide funds for the construction and maintenance of the National Garden as appropriate and in accordance with available allocations and applicable legislation.”

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