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This small statue shows the typical outfit of a sailor, including the 'dixie cup' cap, 'peacoat', and 'bell-bottom' pants.
It is a small version of 'The Lone Sailor', a 1987 bronze sculpture, which was created as a tribute to all the personnel of the sea services.
The sculpture was created by Stanley Bleifeld, for the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Other full-size copies of the statue can be found elsewhere in the US, including at Pearl Harbor, as well as Guam and outside the UTAH Beach Museum, Normandy, France. The full size statues are accompanied by a sailor's 'duffel', or sea bag - a hip-high canvas bag with drawstring top - and a mooring post.
Rear Admiral William Thompson was the first president and CEO of the Navy Memorial Foundation, which raised the funds to create the Navy Memorial. As a tribute to Thompson's work to bring the memorial to life, sculptor Stanley Bleifeld placed Thompson's initials and last name on the sea bag.
The model for The Lone Sailor was Dan Maloney, who modeled for the project in 1984 or 1985, when he was a Petty Officer First Class assigned to the submarine USS Alabama. He was chosen as he matched the sculptor's idea of a 'typical' sailor.
As part of the casting process for the Washington statue, the bronze for The Lone Sailor was mixed with artifacts from eight U.S. Navy ships, provided by the Naval Historical Center.
This small replica was likely a return for a financial contribution to the original project.
Similar replicas are given out as part of the Lone Sailor Award, given to Sea Service veterans who have excelled with distinction in their careers during or after their service.
The Stone family started a boatyard at Hunter's Point in San Francisco in 1853, building wooden yachts. The boat yard was moved to Oakland by later generations, and finally, in 1942 Lester Stone moved the company to Alameda, where they built tugboats, sub chasers, and minesweepers to meet the World War 2 demand. Lester Stone retired in 1970 and the boat yard continued operation under the same name but owned by others until it closed it 2004.
The sign for the Stone Boat Yard can still be seen on the side of a building on 2517 Blanding Avenue.
More artifacts from the Stone Boat Yard and Stone family can be found in the Nautical Corner of the Alameda Museum.
