Vietnam Veteran Steve Trammell, Corning, California, was moved to honor and remember military heroes. In 1992, Trammell created his first brass eagle, which was named "In the Belly of the Eagle." The sculpture honors fallen Vietnam soldiers. Today, Trammell has a series of six eagle sculptures. He was inspired by the eagle symbol of the U.S. National Defense Service Medal and so his sculptures take on a similar look.

Trammell was a U.S. Army combat soldier in the late 1960s. He witnessed first-hand the tragedy of the Vietnam War and the tremendous loss of human life, including that of friends. Trammell refers to the Vietnam War as "his war" and will explain that while he wasn't wounded, he nearly died from malaria contracted in the jungle. He is grateful for the helicopter pilot that risked his own life to dip into the jungle to pull Trammell's almost lifeless body out. A few years ago, Trammell also had major surgery to remove a tumor, a result of Agent Orange, on his left knee.

"When I was creating the first eagle sculpture, I was able to release a lot of pain from my own experiences in Vietnam. For me, these eagles are the perfect way to honor and remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice," says Trammell.

After finishing his first sculpture, Trammell continued on. The second in the series is dedicated to the 52 U.S. Elite Special Forces lost in Mogadishu, Somalia, during "Black Hawk Down" in October 1993.

The third brass eagle stands proudly at five feet tall with spread tail feathers honoring the fallen Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines personnel lost in the Korean War during 1950-1953. 

The forth in the series is a seven-foot-tall brass eagle weighing in at 1,200 pounds. This is dedicated to all of the 241 service personnel including 220 Marines who were killed during the Beirut barracks bombing on October 23, 1983. This is noted as the deadliest attack against U.S. Marines since the battle over Iwo Jima in February 1945. 

The fifth eagle Trammell created honors his family friend Airman 1st Class Joshua Woody and 19 others of the U.S. Air Force's 440th Wing (Provisional) who were killed when a truck bomb exploded near building 131 at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia on June 25, 1996.