After seeing the photo of the modern soldiers on horseback , Blumberg decided to create a statue to commemorate the actions of the service members of America 's Special Operations who responded to the 9/11 attacks , including the Special Operations forces who fought in the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom . On his own initiative and expense , Blumberg took three months to complete a 1:6 scale , tall bronze sculpture of a Green Beret riding an Afghan horse . In 2002 , while at a show in Louisville , Kentucky , he brought the work in progress with him . A Vietnam-era Green Beret saw the work and told Lt. Col. Frank Hudson from the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell about the statue , who called Blumberg . Blumberg sent him pictures of the work . Hudson saw a number of inconsistencies in the statue with the reality of what happened in the field
9/11 attacks
September 11 attacks
America's Response Monument