J. V. "Pinky" Wilson - Bertram, TX - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

The sculpture of Pinky shows him as a World War I soldier, which he was, when he wrote the War Hymn on the back of an envelope during or shortly after the battle at Meuse-Argonne in 1918. It is a bronze life size sculpture of him standing with his hands at his sides. His rifle is slung over his right shoulder. He is wearing a helmet, and has a pack hanging on his chest. A belt with a variety of cases is around his waist. There is a canteen on his left hip. The statue rests on a pink granite base with ATM on the front. Beside the statue is an information plaque.

Texas State Website

Wilson grew up in the community of Florence, north of Georgetown. He was a junior at A&M in 1917 when he volunteered for the Marine Corps and was soon on the front lines. After the war, he returned to A&M and graduated with the class of 1920.

Pinky was a quiet man who lived a simple life on a farm near Burnet. When he got older, he moved into town. He never sought publicity and never expected any. I interviewed Pinky in 1980 just weeks before he died. I inquired about the meaning of the opening lines to his famous song, "Hullabaloo, kaneck, kaneck." He said thousands of people had asked him that and he never told them what they meant.

Partial Marker Text: Pinky was born in 1897 in Florence, TX. He ranched there through 1950, when he purchased a ranch near Bertram, Burnet County, TX where he, wife Erma, and son Joe lived until 1970 when they moved to Burnet, TX.

URL of the statue: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/18/2018 Sissyta visited it