Marin’s World War I Memorial
by Jocelyn Moss
When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, Marin County men were called to arms as the nation joined Britain, France and Russia in the war against Germany. Men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-one were called to become soldiers. Twenty-five percent of the male population of the United States served in the armed forces. Over 100,000 Americans lost their lives before the war ended at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918.
At the end of the war, an effort began in Marin to erect a monument to honor the local men who had lost their lives. A group organized as the “Marin County Ex-service Men’s Memorial Organization.” John J. Sheehy was the chairman. Almer N. Newhall was chairman of the Fund Campaign.
A statue was commissioned by renowned artist, Joseph J. Mora. Mora sculpted a generic Doughboy soldier to represent those who had lost their lives in World War I. The term Doughboy was used to describe an infantry soldier. Exactly how the term Doughboy came to refer to a foot soldier is unknown. The base for the statue was designed by local architect, Samuel Heiman. On the base is a plaque with the names of all thirty-four Marin men who died in the war.
The ceremonial unveiling of the memorial took place on September 17, 1922 at the Marin County Courthouse on Fourth Street in San Rafael where the statue was placed. A great crowd of citizens attended, listening to speeches by Governor W. D Stephens, John J. Sheehy, artist Joseph J. Mora and Major General George Barnett.
The statue stood in front of the courthouse until 1971 when it was moved to the Avenue of the Flags at the Marin County Civic Center. Today it’s surrounded by memorials of those who died in subsequent wars, including World War II, the Korean War & the Vietnam War.
Originally published at https://annetkent.kontribune.com.
