Still no home for vet statue

Visitors to the West Virginia Capitol Complex appear quite fond of its Veterans' Memorial, with its rosters of the state's war dead etched solemnly in smooth black stone.

Equally popular are the memorial's four bronze statues, each representing a different branch of the military as well as a major conflict of the 20th Century.

Artist Joe Mullins sculpted those larger-than-lifesize figures, with a remarkable eye for detail: there's the gear carried by the World War I "doughboy," for instance, or the flight suit of the Korean War U.S. Air Force fighter pilot.

With similar care, Mullins has carved a fifth statue, to represent West Virginia's female veterans. But the statue remains in a sort of limbo. The apparent reason: the figure is wearing pants instead of a skirt, and some female veterans object.

Public Broadcasting's Scott Finn has a story on the impasse today. The link includes audio from his report, and a link to more info about Mullins and the memorial.