Verona's War Memorial

ca. 1970-1990

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Verona's War Memorial
  • Title
  • Verona's War Memorial
  • Date
  • ca. 1970-1990
  • Identifier
  • 20100515-ocl-0906
  • Source Identifier
  • 2003.07
  • Description
  • In the front of this photograph is a cannon, with the rest of the war memorial visible in the background on the left side. The statue of the soldier with his hand raised is known as the Doughboy. On February 12, 1942, the statue was commissioned with just a down payment of 25 dollars, all of which came from Hugh Abercrombie, VFW Post 441 commander. The statue as a whole cost about $2,000 dollars initially, along with a $200 shipping fee from Chicago, where the statue was made. Costs happen though, so the amount finally paid for the Doughboy was approximately $2,500. Various fund-raising efforts gathered together the money for the memorial statue. On June 10, 1943, the statue arrived and displayed at Verona's VFW post until such time as a better location could be found. When more land was obtained by the World War I honor roll at the end of the viaduct, the cannon was moved forward and the Doughboy moved to accompany them. Although initially intended for World War I veterans, the war memorial was later dedicated to all veterans. The Doughboy suffered through vandalism and on January 2, 1997 the statue was actually knocked off of its pedestal and smashed to pieces. Only the Doughboy's boots remained attached to the pedestal. Peter Paul Sutlovich, then 20, was charged with criminal mischief for this incident, although he claimed that the statue merely fell over while he was attempting to have a conversation with it. The Doughboy was restored later in the year, for more than twice the original cost.
  • Type
  • still image
  • Genre
  • photographs
  • Subject
  • Verona (Allegheny County, Pa.)
    War Memorials--Pennsylvania--Verona
    Statues--Pennsylvania--Verona
  • Source
  • Oakmont Carnegie Library Archives
  • Contributor
  • Oakmont Carnegie Library
  • Collection
  • Oakmont Historical Image Collection
  • Rights Information
  • Copyright Not Evaluated. The copyright and related rights status of this Item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.
    http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/