SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. -- Former Marine Sgt. Robert Elliot has become a permanent fixture in San Clemente with his image immortalized in a bronze statue.

Elliot was chosen to have a monument made in his likeness to represent the Marine Corps. The monument stands in San Clemente’s newly created park, Park Semper Fi.

Elliot posed for the replica for eight months while sculptors Bill Limebrook and Lauren Saint Vincent created the artwork.

The monument named The Marine Monument was unveiled Saturday for hundreds of curious residents to see.

“It’s an absolute honor,” said Elliott, 27, of Lake Elsinore. “Not only for myself, but for the Marine Corps.”

Before its unveiling, camouflage netting was the only thing onlookers saw when they peered at the statue that stands in front of a beach backdrop.

Military and city officials wanted to make sure that no one saw the sculpture until the ceremony.

Spectators were in awe when Camp Pendleton and San Clemente dignitaries uncovered the statue.

The bronze statue faces the San Clemente pier and salutes the flag posted at the edge of Park Semper Fi.

“I had to hold a salute 30 minutes to an hour to get the salute right,” Elliot said referring to his recent monument modeling experience.

The replica bears Elliot’s exact physical features, including his wedding ring.

“My wife wanted to make sure they added that,” Elliot laughed.

The city of San Clemente wanted to provide “Nothing but the best for our Marines,” said Joe Anderson, mayor of San Clemente.

Although the statue is a reflection of Elliot, Anderson said it represents much more.

“It’s a reflection of our community’s respect for the Marine Corps,” he said.

Major Gen. Michael R. Lehnert, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West, said the site also stands for those who fight for our country’s freedom.

“I’m going to salute this every time I come up here for those (we have lost) from Camp Pendleton,” said Stan Hayter, a former Marine noncommissioned officer and San Clemente resident.