Viquesney's Spirit of the American Doughboy stands as a memorial to the local Fort Smith soldiers who died in WWI. It stands proudly in front of the American Legion Post No. 31 in east Fort Smith.
This statue was listed on the US National Register in 1997.
The nomination form can be accessed through the Preservation Arkansas website here: (
visit link)
"Summary
The "Spirit of the American Doughboy" monument of Fort Smith faces west in the parking lot of the Ellig-Stoufer Post No. 31 of the American Legion in Fort Smith, Sebastian County. Designed by American sculptor Ernest Moore "Dick" Viquesney, it depicts a typical World War I "Doughboy" soldier dressed in battle gear. He is standing on a plot of battlefield that has barbed wire and two broken fence posts on the proper right and proper left sides. The figure is in mid-stride and is wearing a World War I battle helmet and a backpack. His proper right arm is raised above his head clasping a grenade in his proper right hand, while his proper left arm is at his side and it carrying a rifle horizontal to the ground. The base, made of fieldstone, is 52"x45"x45". The sculpture, made of bronze, stands 76"x40"x58".
Elaboration
The "Spirit of the American Doughboy" monument of Fort Smith is located in the parking lot of the Ellig-Stoufer Post No. 31 of the American Legion in Fort Smith, Sebastian County. Designed by American sculptor Ernest Moore "Dick" Viquesney, it depicts a typical World War I "Doughboy" soldier dressed in battle gear. He is standing on a plot of battlefield that has barbed wire and two broken fence posts on the proper right and proper left sides. The figure is in mid-stride and is wearing a World War I battle helmet and a in his proper right hand, while his proper left arm is at his side and it carrying a rifle horizontal to the ground. The base, made of fieldstone, is 52"x45"x45". The sculpture, made of bronze, stands 76"x40"x58".
The front of the base contains a plaque which reads "DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY / OF OUR COMRADES / WHO ENTERED THE SERVICE / OF THEIR COUNTRY / FROM FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS / AND GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN THE WORLD WAR / VICTOR ELLIG POST NO. 31 /THE AMERICAN LEGION."
The bottom proper left of the statue is inscribed "'SPIRIT OF THE/ AMERICAN DOUGHBOY'/ COPYRIGHTED BY/ E. M. VIQUESNEY, SCULPTOR/ SPENCER, INDIANA."
The monument sits within a flower bed with a diameter of roughly 12 feet. The flower bed is bordered with large, rough rocks and includes a small, fieldstone platform which bears a spotlight trained on the monument.
There is metallic staining, dirt, and organic growth on the sculpture, and the mortar joints are cracked on the base. Overall, though, it is in good condition: a 1993 SOS! survey notes that the monument is well-maintained."