The E. M. Viquesney "Spirit of the American Doughboy" Database
Photo provided by Tim McMahon, Fair Haven Historian.
FAIR HAVEN, NEW JERSEY
N 40° 21.868 / W 74° 2.1322
Copyright version 1920, pressed copper.
Smithsonian Art Inventory Control Number: NJ000436.
Copyright version 1920, pressed copper.
Smithsonian Art Inventory Control Number: NJ000436.
In Memorial Park at Fair Haven Road and River Road.
The inscription on the plaque on the front of the base reads:
FAIR HAVEN
HONOR ROLL
IN HONOR OF THOSE
WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY
ON LAND AND SEA
1917 WORLD WAR 1919
(followed by names of two killed in action, three who died in service, and forty-four other veterans.)
FAIR HAVEN
HONOR ROLL
IN HONOR OF THOSE
WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY
ON LAND AND SEA
1917 WORLD WAR 1919
(followed by names of two killed in action, three who died in service, and forty-four other veterans.)
Two smaller markers honor 11 killed in World War II, one killed in Korea, and all those who served in the United States armed forces.
The monument was preceded by a memorial flag placed on the lot Mother’s Day in 1922 to honor Fair Haven "boys" who served in the war. The area was dedicated as a memorial park in early 1924 and a campaign was launched to acquire the Doughboy, walks, lighting, landscaping and tennis courts.
While it’s Fair Haven’s Doughboy, residents from nearby Red Bank were heavily involved in fundraising and the August 16, 1924 dedication. Red Bank hosted a major fundraising event – exhibition boxing matches participated in by three champions of the day – light heavyweight Gene Tunney, welterweight Mickey Walker, and featherweight, Johnny Dundee. The base was constructed by a Red Bank company.
Funds raised through various events and public subscription were supplemented at the end of the campaign by major contributions made by two highly respected Fair Haven individuals.
The unveiling was performed by Mrs. Edward Doughty, Fair Haven’s only Gold Star Mother, whose son, Christopher Doughty, was killed in action.
In the two weeks following the dedication, there were two instances of conflict with Ku Klux Klan members who placed Klan symbols at the monument. Fair Haven residents removed them.
The Doughboy was rededicated in 1995 after extensive refurbishment the prior year, including the replacement of the left hand, rifle, bayonet and grenade that had been missing since the 1960s. Phil Cheney, a former Fair Haven resident, says local lore attributes the removal to Vietnam War protesters, and that the restored left hand and rifle were cast from the Doughboy in Belmar, New Jersey.
While it shows evidence of corrosion, the statue is in generally good condition, as is the park landscaping.
Thanks to Tim McMahan, a Fair Haven historian and Doughboy aficionado who has been very helpful in providing information about the Fair Haven and other New Jersey Doughboys.
While it’s Fair Haven’s Doughboy, residents from nearby Red Bank were heavily involved in fundraising and the August 16, 1924 dedication. Red Bank hosted a major fundraising event – exhibition boxing matches participated in by three champions of the day – light heavyweight Gene Tunney, welterweight Mickey Walker, and featherweight, Johnny Dundee. The base was constructed by a Red Bank company.
Funds raised through various events and public subscription were supplemented at the end of the campaign by major contributions made by two highly respected Fair Haven individuals.
The unveiling was performed by Mrs. Edward Doughty, Fair Haven’s only Gold Star Mother, whose son, Christopher Doughty, was killed in action.
In the two weeks following the dedication, there were two instances of conflict with Ku Klux Klan members who placed Klan symbols at the monument. Fair Haven residents removed them.
The Doughboy was rededicated in 1995 after extensive refurbishment the prior year, including the replacement of the left hand, rifle, bayonet and grenade that had been missing since the 1960s. Phil Cheney, a former Fair Haven resident, says local lore attributes the removal to Vietnam War protesters, and that the restored left hand and rifle were cast from the Doughboy in Belmar, New Jersey.
While it shows evidence of corrosion, the statue is in generally good condition, as is the park landscaping.
Thanks to Tim McMahan, a Fair Haven historian and Doughboy aficionado who has been very helpful in providing information about the Fair Haven and other New Jersey Doughboys.
