Jersey Doughboys

This is not a military blog, but as the 100 year anniversary of the conflagration of the Great War approaches, Team VFH has thought to honor our fallen heroes with visits to the area’s WWI memorials. In an earlier entry we introduced you to the ubiquitous E.M. Viquesney statue, “Spirit of the America Doughboy”. It was produced in great quantities by the Indiana sculptor and roughly 300 were erected across the United States. There are approximately 140 still standing in various locales like town squares or parks and the relatively small state of New Jersey can boast it has eight. The statue is of an American Doughboy striding forward into “No-Man’s-Land”, holding a grenade in his right hand above his head. It is estimated by some historians and researchers that of all the WWI memorials erected 10% feature the Viquesney Doughboy.

To find statues in your area a good source is this database.

SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN DOUGHBOY DATABASE 

“Doughboy” is the nickname given the American Expeditionary Forces that flooded Europe when this country entered the war in 1917. There are many theories over the origin of the moniker. One comes from the Mexican-American War of 1916 when the dusty infantry were called "Adobes" by the cavalry, but the somewhat derisive nickname became very popular. If you are interested in reading further about the Doughboys and the AEF, here is a good website, 
HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN DOUGHBOY

New Jersey played a very important role in the war effort. Over 150,000 soldiers from NJ served in WWI and over 3,800 paid the ultimate sacrifice. Camp Merritt in Cresskill, NJ was a staging area for much of the AEF who were then deployed to Hoboken before being shipped overseas. Around 4 million soldiers passed through Camp Merritt during the war. NJ also contributed to the war through weapons materiel and shipbuilding. 

Okay, so perhaps only history buffs would be so inclined to visit these and similar memorials, although given the upcoming anniversary of the “War to End All Wars,” one should pay homage to our heroes. Understandably, endeavoring to trek to the towns that have a “Spirit” statue (and at least one that is similar, but NOT a Viquesney, in Verona) just to see the memorial may not be on the top of your list of things to do, but VFH has decided to sweeten the pot and lure you with things to do in or near these particular towns. Readers of this blog will know that we shall focus on places to eat and have a drink. Hopefully after following our antics, you too will be so inclined to take a road trip and amble through some New Jersey towns to see their Jersey Doughboys. Perhaps you will be inspired to search for "Spirit" memorials in your own neck of the woods. Remember the database is a good resource, and even the Smithsonian has a listing of known Viquesney statues to help you in your search.

Again, there are eight "Spirit of the American Doughboy" statues in New Jersey. They are in Belmar, Dover, Fair Haven, Frenchtown, Matawan, Perth Amboy, Roselle Park and Secaucus. We shall visit each one and report on our visit.

Our first stop will be Secaucus! 

 FOOTAGE OF WWI SOLDIERS EMBARKING FOR WAR FROM NEW JERSEY