King Neptune

King Neptune may refer to:

See also

King Neptune (pig)

King Neptune (May 16, 1942 – May 14, 1950) was a pig used by a United States Navy recruiter to raise $19 million in war bonds (over $250 million in 2012 adjusted for inflation ) for the construction of the Iowa-class battleship Illinois between 1942 and 1946.

Origins

King Neptune was born in a litter of 12 on the Sherman Boner farm near West Frankfort, Illinois. Originally named Parker Neptune, in honor of his father Parker Sensation, he was raised by Boner's daughter, Patty, as a 4-H project. Neptune was donated by Sherman Boner on December 5, 1942 and was originally intended to be served at a fundraising pig roast until the local navy recruiter had another idea. Neptune was a Hereford swine, a breed characterized as mostly red, with a white face, ears and at least two white feet, similar to that of the Hereford breed of cattle.

Fund raising efforts

Navy recruiter Don C. Lingle, originally of Anna, Illinois working at the Marion, Illinois office, decided to auction the pig to raise war bonds. Lingle and auctioneer L. Oard Sitter traveled throughout southern Illinois auctioning Neptune for bonds for the battleship Illinois which was under construction. Eventually, the individual parts of the pig were auctioned; his squeal was auctioned for $25 on at least one occasion. After each auction, King Neptune was returned to be auctioned again later. High demand for appearances by Neptune led them to travel the rest of Illinois raising funds. The mostly red, with white features, Hereford was often displayed covered with a blue Navy blanket and wearing a crown and silver earrings.

King Neptune (statue)

King Neptune is a large bronze statue sculpted by Paul DiPasquale located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The statue depicts the mythological god Neptune and is located at the entrance of Neptune Park on the Virginia Beach boardwalk on 31st Street. This sculpture weighs 12 tons. and is listed as 24 feet (7.3 m) or 34 feet (10 m) tall. The design consists of a 12-foot tall rock base surrounded by various fish, dolphins, lobsters, and octopi. Above this base, the figure of Neptune begins, starting with his waist. Neptune holds a trident in his right hand and rests his left hand on a loggerhead turtle.

In 2003, the Neptune Festival requested submission designs for a statue. Cameron Kitchin, the Director of the Contemporary Arts Center of Virginia Beach asked DiPasquale to submit his design of a statue of King Neptune. DiPasquale sent the clay model to the Festival’s sculpture committee.

Upon arriving to the United States, the three pieces needed interior support before being reassembled. Due to exceeding its budget, the Chinese manufacturers inserted a weak metal to support the statue. This material was cleared out and substituted by a stainless steel skeletal support. According to DiPasquale, replacing the interior and reorganizing the individual pieces together required a month and a half of welding.