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Statue replaces old monument that was stolen, broken
By Linda Golz
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 07:04 p.m. EDT, May 25, 2009
LAKEMORE: Gladys Trosper wiped away a tear as the dedication service for the new doughboy statue came to an end this afternoon.
''It's a nice tribute,'' her husband, Leland Trosper, said of the statue that replaces one stolen last September — and found later, damaged.
The couple, both 82 and U.S. Navy veterans, sat side-by-side in wheelchairs. They live in Rockynol Retirement Community and attended the event with family.
''I was mad,'' the feisty Gladys said of the theft.
Her husband agreed. ''Somebody'd have to be awful sad to do something like that,'' he said.
The new doughboy is about 3 feet tall, weighs between 80 and 100 pounds and sits on a tall base in the small triangular park downtown. The statue's official name is The Resting Doughboy.
''It's the only one of its kind,'' said Cmdr. James Richards of the Army & Navy Garrison 273.
Stathos Construction and Engineering took castings from the damaged statue and had a replica made at a foundry in Cleveland.
While the old statue was made of zinc, this one is bronze, Richards said.
He hopes no one steals this one.
''Hopefully it's down good enough,'' Richards said, though he didn't want to detail how it is secured.
The previous doughboy was found, badly damaged with part of it missing, in the Mogadore Reservoir by a fisherman.
The head had been smashed and a hand and most of the rifle were missing.
That statue replaced the original doughboy, which was dedicated in 1938 but was damaged when a truck crashed into it in 1988.
The truck ''busted the base of it and damaged the doughboy,'' Richards said.
At today's dedication, Richards gave an emotional, teary-eyed thank-you speech and had to pause to compose himself.
''This doughboy has been put up, I think, with more respect than it was before,'' he said.
Summit County Executive Russ Pry also joined the Memorial Day festivities.
''Lakemore is a great community with a lot of pride,'' he said.
Before the dedication, the crowd gathered for a parade that included classic cars, horses, floats, the Springfield High School band, clowns, politicians and the all-important candy being tossed by the handful from the parade participants, sending children scampering.
Two-year-old Trent Wilson was anxiously waiting to see the fire trucks. ''This is our first year [at the parade],'' said his father, Jeff Wilson, who pushed him in his stroller. Beside them his mother, Amanda Hart, pushed 8-month-old Brooke in another stroller.
Debbie Pappano of Springfield Township has been coming to the event every year for eight or nine years.
''My grandson goes to Springfield High School and he's in the band, so I have to come,'' she said with a grin.
Alexandria Bragg, 7, said this was the second year she had come to the Memorial Day event.
''You get to see a lot of things,'' she said, naming off the fire trucks, Dalmatians, the band and the candy.
Bragg said she knew the day was about more than just the fun, though. It is for ''celebrating the people that died in the war,'' she said.
Those people, she said, were fighting ''for our country. I feel proud of them.''
Linda Golz can be reached at 330-996-3640 or lgolz@thebeaconjournal.com.
LAKEMORE: Gladys Trosper wiped away a tear as the dedication service for the new doughboy statue came to an end this afternoon.
''It's a nice tribute,'' her husband, Leland Trosper, said of the statue that replaces one stolen last September — and found later, damaged.
The couple, both 82 and U.S. Navy veterans, sat side-by-side in wheelchairs. They live in Rockynol Retirement Community and attended the event with family.
''I was mad,'' the feisty Gladys said of the theft.
Her husband agreed. ''Somebody'd have to be awful sad to do something like that,'' he said.
The new doughboy is about 3 feet tall, weighs between 80 and 100 pounds and sits on a tall base in the small triangular park downtown. The statue's official name is The Resting Doughboy.
''It's the only one of its kind,'' said Cmdr. James Richards of the Army & Navy Garrison 273.
Stathos Construction and Engineering took castings from the damaged statue and had a replica made at a foundry in Cleveland.
While the old statue was made of zinc, this one is bronze, Richards said.
He hopes no one steals this one.
''Hopefully it's down good enough,'' Richards said, though he didn't want to detail how it is secured.
The previous doughboy was found, badly damaged with part of it missing, in the Mogadore Reservoir by a fisherman.
The head had been smashed and a hand and most of the rifle were missing.
That statue replaced the original doughboy, which was dedicated in 1938 but was damaged when a truck crashed into it in 1988.
The truck ''busted the base of it and damaged the doughboy,'' Richards said.
At today's dedication, Richards gave an emotional, teary-eyed thank-you speech and had to pause to compose himself.
''This doughboy has been put up, I think, with more respect than it was before,'' he said.
Summit County Executive Russ Pry also joined the Memorial Day festivities.
''Lakemore is a great community with a lot of pride,'' he said.
Before the dedication, the crowd gathered for a parade that included classic cars, horses, floats, the Springfield High School band, clowns, politicians and the all-important candy being tossed by the handful from the parade participants, sending children scampering.
Two-year-old Trent Wilson was anxiously waiting to see the fire trucks. ''This is our first year [at the parade],'' said his father, Jeff Wilson, who pushed him in his stroller. Beside them his mother, Amanda Hart, pushed 8-month-old Brooke in another stroller.
Debbie Pappano of Springfield Township has been coming to the event every year for eight or nine years.
''My grandson goes to Springfield High School and he's in the band, so I have to come,'' she said with a grin.
Alexandria Bragg, 7, said this was the second year she had come to the Memorial Day event.
''You get to see a lot of things,'' she said, naming off the fire trucks, Dalmatians, the band and the candy.
Bragg said she knew the day was about more than just the fun, though. It is for ''celebrating the people that died in the war,'' she said.
Those people, she said, were fighting ''for our country. I feel proud of them.''
Linda Golz can be reached at 330-996-3640 or lgolz@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Posted 11:44 AM, 05/26/2009
Did I miss something or did this article never actually explain the term "doughboy" and what this statue represents?
I presume this statue is meant to honor World War I vets. But I wouldn't expect most people, especially kids, to know what a "doughboy" is. Maybe the writer could have made the effort to explain that the statue is of a World War I United States army soldier?? Would that have been asking too much? Instead she just used the slang term that probably conjures up images of that fat Pilsbury man.
Without a photograph, this article has no context at all.
Please make an effort to write decent articles!
Akron, Oh
Posted 01:03 PM, 05/26/2009
Did I read that the new statue is made of Bronze? Great, now some moron from Akron will try and steal it for crack money! At least it's back and the fool that took the last one should rot in HE*L!
Hartville, OH
Posted 06:31 PM, 05/26/2009
Good for Lakemore, glad to here about some positive news oming from there. It is really too bad that Lakemore gets suck a bad wrap, it was once a beautiful small town fishing community.
akron, oh
Posted 08:04 PM, 05/26/2009
Info on this one of a kind...
"The largest variant actually known to be by Viquesney is a unique three-foot memorial in Lakemore, Ohio, also listed as The Spirit of the Doughboy by the Smithsonian. It was copyrighted in 1930 and dedicated in 1938."
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_of_the_American_Doughboy
akron, oh
Posted 08:09 PM, 05/26/2009
One more thing. The Lakemore one is a "Resting Doughboy" which is why it is a one of a kind.
