from The World War One Centennial Commission Act, January 14, 2013
World War One was a watershed in American history. The United States' decision to join the battle in 1917 "to make the world safe for democracy" proved pivotal in securing allied victory — a victory that would usher in the American Century.
In the war's aftermath, individuals, towns, cities, counties, and states all felt compelled to mark the war, as did colleges, businesses, clubs, associations, veterans groups, and houses of worship. Thousands of memorials—from simple honor rolls, to Doughboy sculptures, to grandiose architectural ensembles—were erected throughout the US in the 1920s and 1930s, blanketing the American landscape.
Each of these memorials, regardless of size or expense, has a story. But sadly, as we enter the war's centennial period, these memorials and their very purpose—to honor in perpetuity the more than four million Americans who served in the war and the more than 116,000 who were killed—have largely been forgotten. And while many memorials are carefully tended, others have fallen into disrepair through neglect, vandalism, or theft. Some have been destroyed. Watch this CBS news video on the plight of these monuments.
The extant memorials are our most salient material links in the US to the war. They afford a vital window onto the conflict, its participants, and those determined to remember them. Rediscovering the memorials and the stories they tell will contribute to their physical and cultural rehabilitation—a fitting commemoration of the war and the sacrifices it entailed.
We are building a US WW1 Memorial register through a program called the Memorials Hunters Club. If you locate a memorial that is not on the map we invite you to upload your treasure to be permanently archived in the national register. You can include your choice of your real name, nickname or team name as the explorers who added that memorial to the register. We even have room for a selfie! Check the map, and if you don't see the your memorial CLICK THE LINK TO ADD IT.
This monument consists of a rusticated granite stele mounted on a granite base. Three large, bronze plaques are mounted to the sides of the monument. The front plaque depicts a bas relief image of Liberty holding a laurel wreath. The plaque contains the dedication to Hasbrouck Heights residents who served in World War I. Plaques on two sides contain the Honor Roll.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This monument consists of a quarry-faced granite slab, with an elaborate bronze plaque attached to the front. An eagle in relief, with spread wings, rises above the top of the frame. The honor roll lists the names of Westville residents who served in WWI.
The monument is placed near the front of Thomas West Park, located on Delsea Drive.
Photo courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
Two full-length bronze figures flank a square granite column. The figure on the left is a WWI sailor. He is dressed in uniform and wears a sailors cap. He holds a rifle in front of him with both hands placed on the barrel of the gun. The butt of the gun rests on the ground in front of him. The figure on the right is a WWI doughboy. He also wears a uniform and helmet and holds a gun in the same position. Both figures stand with their backs to the monument column on granite bases which rest flush against the column.
The capitol of the column is decorated with bas-relief elements. A bronze eagle, perched on an olive branch with wings outspread, is centered on the front & back faces of the column.
This memorial is dedicated for her 21 sons who made the supreme sacrifice in WWI.
Narrative adapted from Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) inventory #NJ000584.
Photos courtesy of: Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS)
A huge bronze WWI infantryman stands with his rifle held horizontally in both hands at his waist. He wears a helmet and has packs and a water bottle. Beneath is a granite boulder the back of which is engraved with the names of the 489 men and 10 Army nurses from Cooperstown who served in WWI. On the front of the base are the names of the 54 who died. It was sculpted by Gerald D. Horn and completed in about 1920.
This monument is dedicated to the servicemen of Madison, NJ who fought and died in World War I. A large bronze eagle with wings stretched upward rests atop an octagonal granite pedestal.
Four bronze plaques are placed on the sides of the granite base - the front lists those who died in the war; the other three honor rolls list the names of 324 residents who served.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
Located in the Grotto of the Dayton, Ohio VA Medical Center. The original plaque was dedicated in 1984. On 11 Nov. 2018 the Miami Valley Military History Museum placed a new plaque honoring the Centennial.
This monument consists of a rusticated pink granite slab, with a bronze honor roll plaque mounted in its center. This plaque features a raised frame and an eagle with spread wings decorating the upper section, with its wings and a portion of its head projecting above the top of the frame. The lower portion is reserved for the honor roll listing the Milford residents who served in World War I.
Photo courtesy of: Alan Edelson & Historical Marker Database
This monument is constructed of rusticated pink granite. Its base consists of two slabs with the upper face of the smaller second slab angled inward to meet the bottom edges of the battered granite pier that comprises the bulk of the monument. The pier is surmounted by a ball resting on a base slab. A bronze eagle. with head to the side and wings open. sits atop the ball. A bronze plaque topped by a fleur-de-lis motif & garlands is placed in the center of the front face of the pier. This plaque commemorates Collingswood residents who served in World War I.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This wooden engraved plaque lists the names of local servicemembers who lost their lives in WW1. It is located in the main entrance hallway of the capitol building.
Photo and description courtesy of waymarking.com
The memorial consists of three parts: the colonnade, entablature and cenotaph.
The entablature contains the names of the major battles in which American troops fought in western Europe.
The cenotaph--the only one in New Haven--features the inscription, "In Memory of the Men of Yale who true to her traditions gave their lives that freedom might not perish from the Earth, Anno Domini 1918."
The memorial was designed by Thomas Hastings and Everett Meeks, and was paid for by Yale Alumni--no university funds were used.
Dedicated on June 19, 1927.
A granite boulder serves as a base for a rectangular bronze relief plaque sculpted by John P. Pramino. It depicts a standing Grecian woman with extended arms, wearing a long gown and sandals and holding a laurel in each hand. Each arm rests on a slightly raised column bearing a list of names of the men of Yarmouth who served in WWI. It was created by the Yarmouth Grange and dedicated on September 4, 1926. Only the boulder survives.
West Plaque:
In honor of our brave men who served in the World War and our devoted men and women who in hospital and in hut heartened and sustained our fighting forces and in memeory of those who served in the cause of humanity sealed their devotion with their lives
A roster of the names of these men and these women is preserved in the archives of the city hall
Erected by the Ypsilanti Patriotic Service League 1919
East Plaque:
In honor of our brave men of the 107th field signal batallion U.S.A. which brigaded with the 32nd division rendered distinguished service Chateau Theirry Soissons Fismes Juvigny and in the Argonne
and in memeory of those who served in the cause of humanity gave the full measure of devotion
A roster of the names of these men and is preserved in the archives of the city hall
Erected by the Ypsilanti Patriotic Service League 1919
This life-size metal statue depicts a WWI infantryman carrying a rifle and grenade through the barbed wire and stumps of No Man's Land. It was funded by contributions of people from Muskingum County and was installed in November of 1929.
Plaque: To commemorate those who at the call of their country, left all that was dear, endured hardship, faced danger, and finally passed out of sight of men by the path of duty and sacrifice giving up their lives that others might live in freedom. Let those who come after see to it that their names not be forgotten. By the Citizens Memorial Committee and Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Committees of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Jewish Veterans of the Wars of the Republic comprising local boards 82 to 88.
Left: Harry Abramson --- Isidore Ashe --- Morris Bass --- Jacob Bergrin --- Isaac Berlin --- Bonche Boisa --- Jacob Borker --- Harry Britman --- Zelig Brooks --- Benjamin Chester --- Herman Cohen --- Charles C. Cohen --- Max Cohen --- Ralph Cohen --- Simon Cohen --- Harry Dattlebaum --- Otto Dietter --- David L. Doctor --- Isidore Dropkins --- Harry Feldberg --- Samuel Finkelstein --- James Fitzpatrick --- Christopher Ford --- Harry Forman --- Abraham Friedman --- Isreal Joseph Friedman --- Robert P. Friedman --- William Friedman --- Philip Goldstein --- Jacob Goodman --- James B. Graham --- Moses Gustamolsky --- Conrad Heitman --- Samuel C. Kaplan --- Harry Keller --- Louis Krinsky --- Morris Krupnick --- Isidore Kunofsky --- Joseph Krichevesky --- Frank Levine --- Jacob Levine --- George Levy --- John Levy --- Leo Levy --- Raymond A. McIver --- Isidore L. Mackler
Right: Edward Mintz --- Charles P. Morganthaler --- David Moskowitz --- Michael Moskowitz --- Samuel Packer --- David Paskoff --- Harry Ragovin --- Philip Rapaport --- Benjamin J. Reisen --- Daniel Rigrod --- Joseph M. / Robinson --- David Rochlin --- Sidney Rosenberg --- Joseph Rosenthal --- William Rykus --- Benjamin Saltman --- Fred S. Schmeeling --- Jack Schreck --- Samuel J. Shafran --- Abraham Shapiro --- Harry Siegel --- Henry Siegel --- Jack Siegel --- Charles Smith --- Nathan Solomon --- Samuel Solovei --- Nicholas Spinazola --- Charles J. Sullivan --- Frank X. Sullivan --- Joseph Swirsky --- Louis M. Swick --- Gustave W. Thomsen --- George M. Waithauer --- James D. Wanser --- Aaron Werther --- George Weyuker --- Louis Witover --- Morris Zimmerman --- Samuel Zuckerman
Cashmere, Washington
“All gave some, Some gave all”
War Memorial
Dedicated to honoring local residents who made the “Supreme Sacrifice” in all wars of the United States. Located at the 9/11 Spirit of America Memorial
This bronze statue of a Jewish Chaplain in World War I sits on top of a large stone base that also honors later wars. The statue is itself a memorial to World War I, listing on its wheel the number of American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Nurses who died,116,516 and the 204,092 who were wounded in that war.
As Military Chaplains serve all personnel in the command to which they are assigned, this sculpture depicts the Chaplain holding a New Testament while most likely officiating at a soldier's burial service.
This memorial was sculpted by Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW, Post 3513 Commander Austin Deuel.
Commissioned for the Scottsdale Public Art Program
Erected by: The Tobias Bilyeu American Legion Post 710
Inscription:
DEDICATED TO THE BOYS FROM THIS COMMUNITY
WHO ANSWERED THEIR COUNTRY’S CALL
IN THE WORLD WAR 1917 ♢ 1918
There are two similar pictures of the monument here and when comparing both it appears that the older picture shows the monument at a different location in town. The school building behind it in the new photograph was built in 1905 and does not appear in the older photo. The dedication plaque which is placed on the ground in front of the monument in the old photo was not there when the new, color, photo was taken in August of 2018.
Inscription:
DEDICATED TO THE BOYS FROM THIS COMMUNITY
WHO ANSWERED THEIR COUNTRY’S CALL
IN THE WORLD WAR 1917 ♢ 1918
There are two similar pictures of the monument here and when comparing both
it appears that the older picture shows the monument at a different location in
town. The school building behind it in the new photograph was built in 1905
and does not appear in the older photo. The dedication plaque which is placed
on the ground in front of the monument in the old photo was not there when the
new, color, photo was taken in August of 2018.
This is the older of the two War Memorials on the Green in front of the Mendota Museum & Historical Society building. Erected by American Legion Mendota Post № 540 in 1921 to honor the memory of seven local soldiers “…WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN THE WORLD WAR 1917 ★★ 1918”. There are two plaques that are in remarkable condition at age 98, only missing 7 of the 14 decorative caps covering the bolts holding the plaques to the wall. Also the covered dark red brick community drinking fountain has been well taken care of by the community. The Memorial Monument sites directly behind the newer War Memorial Wall and 155mm Howitzer circa 1917 WW1 field artillery piece.
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