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Not every artist could raise enough money to fund a major project in just six months and commit to producing a life-size bronze sculpture, but at 84, local artist Dick Behrends is doing just that.

Behrends served in the 86th Blackhawk Infantry Division during World War II and now, more than 60 years after the end of the war, he wants to commemorate those who fought.

Behrends, a Chicago native who lives in Greensboro, specializes in Western-inspired bronze sculptures. But to honor his fellow soldiers, he decided to stray from his typical work and make a life-size Blackhawk infantryman with a granite base and three plaques detailing the history of the 86th Division, the men who were killed and all of the units that served in the Blackhawk Division.

The memorial will be unveiled at the 86th Blackhawk Infantry Division Association's 25th — and possibly last — reunion, tentatively scheduled August 2009 in California. The association was organized to continue the camaraderie of the World War II troops and to honor friends who died in battle.

After five years as president of the association, Behrends came up with the idea of making a memorial for the California State Military Museum in Camp San Luis Obispo, Calif. He made a smaller model of the memorial sculpture and gave a proposal at the association's meeting in September. The proposal was met with unanimous approval.

"As president of the association, my board and I were concerned with doing something that would be of lasting value and respect to the men who fought," Behrends said.

Behrends said the only thing he was worried about was not raising enough money to complete the project in a reasonable time. The association sent out brochures with a picture of the model, asking people to donate by buying bricks that would be placed at the memorial site and could be inscribed with personal messages.

In six months, the association had about 180 donors and raised more than $127,000.

"Some groups have spent eight years trying to raise their money," Behrends said.

Behrends has been hard at work in his home studio. He has already dedicated four months to the project, and by the time he finishes, he will have spent close to a year on it. He hopes to finish it by the end of the year.

"You never know when you're through because you could go on making corrections forever," Behrends said.

Though Behrends has always been interested in art, devoting his time to sculpting has been a more recent development. Behrends credits his love of art to his grandfather, a sculptor who was a contributor to the Field Museum in Chicago.

Behrends impressed his grammar-school classmates with his drawings of horses and later won a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. But he says he didn't really do any serious drawing until World War II.

As a creative escape, he drew sketches on his downtime when he served in Europe during World War II. And when he was stationed in the Pacific, he did some illustrations that were put on display in recreation halls in the Philippines.

After he left the service, Behrends became a graphic designer and later an advertising art director in Chicago before marrying his wife, Jacque, a flight attendant from Greensboro, in the 1950s and moving to her hometown. He joined a Greensboro advertising agency that became Behrends and Co. but had to put art aside in favor of administrative tasks.

"As president (of Behrends and Co.), I couldn't really do anything creative anymore," Behrends said.

He did one sculpture of his dog in the '70s, but when he became president, he no longer had time to devote to it. After 30 years, Behrends retired and finally returned to art.

"I always knew that somehow, somewhere, sometime, I would do another sculpture," Behrends said.

Most of his time lately has been devoted to the memorial, but Behrends won't be at a loss for work once that project is complete.

"I've got a whole studio full of things that I'm working on," Behrends said. "Who knows what I'll do next?"

Contact Alexa Milan at 373-7081 or alexandra.milan@news-record.com