This Doughboy statue is located in Zelakso Park in Aberdeen, Washington, at the corner of Wishkah and F Street.
The engraving on the marble base reads:
THE SPIRIT OF THE
AMERICAN DOUGHBOY,
WHO IN PEACE REPRESENTED THE
IDEALS OF A NATION OF FREEMEN, AND IN THE
WORLD WAR FEARLESSLY FACED DEATH IN DEFENSE
OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND LIBERTY.
CHERISHING THE MEMORIES OF
THOSE WHO FELL, AND WITH GRATITUDE TO THE
SURVIVORS OF THE NATION’S CONFLICTS, THIS STATUE
WAS ERECTED BY THE VETERANS AND PATRIOTIC
ORGANIZATIONS OF ABERDEEN WASHINGTON.
JULY 4, 1926
This statue was originally placed in another park in Aberdeen, a small triangular park at the corner of North Park Street and Simpson, but was moved here and rededicated on March 4, 1961. The weight of the statue and it's base was causing the ground at the former location to give way, so several local civic groups (including The VFW and Auxiliary, American Legion and Auxiliary, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Gold Star Mothers and others) banded together to have it moved to Zelakso Park. The statue was cleaned and the bayonet was replaced before the rededication.
In 2000, the base of the statue was hit by a car, but thankfully only the base was broken and the statue was unharmed. The statue was removed temporarily while the base was being repaired.
The park also includes a World War II pack howitzer. There are two large wood carvings, some benches, flag pole and lots of room for roaming around.
For the location of additional Viquesney's Doughboy statues, visit the archived "locationless" geocache: GC5B3C link: (
visit link)
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visit link)
Copyright version 1920, pressed copper.
Smithsonian Art Inventory Control Number: 47260121