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Zion Park is in Brooklyn between Pitkin Avenue and East New York Avenue. The land was originally owned by Peter L. Vandeveer, but in 1896 he gave the property to the City of Brooklyn. Soon, after the City of Brooklyn name the property Vandeveer Park, but in 1911 the Board of Alderman renamed the park to Zion Park to acknowledge the large local Jewish community. By 1923, Alexander S. Drescher, chairman of the Citizens Memorial Committee and the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Committees of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, petitioned Brooklyn Borough Parks Commissioner John N. Harman to erect a memorial honoring the courage, valor, and sacrifice of those who served their country. Alexander S. Drescher also sought $5,000 worth of site improvements to accommodate the memorial. After delays due to financing, the project went forward in 1925. The memorial was designed by Henry Beaumont Herz and sculpted by Charles Cary Rumsey. The memorial itself is a wall with a higher central section with a bas-relief of winged female warriors, two side sections incised with names which are on a raised platform with steps, banisters with medallions, an eagle, on the left a star of David and on the right a plaque. Many of the names are of soldiers who served during World War I.

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This memorial was dedicated to soldiers who served in the United States armed services during World War I. The monument was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts and sculpted by artist Charles Cary Rumsey and dedicated in 1925. 

Zion Triangle War Memorial

This tour includes fourteen Brooklyn memorials that were dedicated to honor local soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. Each entry was created by a student at NYU under the direction of Dr. Andrew Lee. 

Brooklyn World War I Memorials

List of New York City spaces memorializing World War I

Memorialization of World War I in New York City

This trail offers a way to explore New York City monuments and spaces that memorialize World War I. This thematic Clio tour was created by students, faculty, and librarians at New York University. 

Starting from Cypress Hills National Cemetery, drive from Jamaica Ave. to historical Brooklyn landmarks in Cypress Hills, East New York, and Brownsville. Visit locations important to colonial, military, African-American, educational, and women's history.

Cypress Hills - E. New York - Brownsville neighborhoods, Brooklyn historical driving tour

Instructor

The Abingdon Square Doughboy is located in Abingdon Square Park on West 12th Street and 8th Aveune in Greenwich Village. It was created by scluptor Philip Martiny in 1921 and dedicated in the same year. This is one of the few Doughboy statues located in New York City. It depicts a solider in a heroic pose on a tall pedestal. It is a “sculpture that honors those servicemen from Greenwich who gave their lives in World War I”1, showing one of the many ways that the public recognized local soldiers for their sacrifice in the war. This is also shown in the sculpture’s inscription, which states: “ERECTED / BY POPULAR SUBSCRIPTION / IN HONOR / OF THE BRAVE MEN / WHO WENT FORTH / FROM THIS NEIGHBOR- / HOOD TO JOIN THE / ARMED FORCES OF / THE UNITED STATES DURING THE WORLD WAR”2.The name “Doughboy” is commonly used to refer to American soldiers that were sent to fight in Europe during the war; however, there are many theories to how the name came to be. “According to one explanation, the term dates back to the Mexican War of 1846-48, when American infantrymen made long treks over dusty terrain, giving them the appearance of being covered in flour, or dough”3. Another popular explanation is that soldiers often used white clay to pipe their uniforms, which made them look doughy4. Other lesser-known theories include the Baked Goods Theory, which comes from the method that soldiers would use to cook their rations and made their food look like dough, and The Button Theory, where the soldiers wore brass buttons that looked like dumplings which were commonly eaten by soldiers5. This is an example how different words were developed or changed in meaning during World War I; however, the term “doughboy” is unique in that it does not have clear origins in terms of it referring to American soldiers.Another interesting feature of this sculpture is that there are many other doughboys that were erected throughout public settings in the United States. “These doughboy memorials, all featuring the statue and a stone or brick base, can be found in 39 U.S. states. They sit in town squares, in cemeteries, in front of federal buildings, and in parks. There are around 145 of them, and they all look very familiar—for a good reason. These statues are among the first known mass-produced memorials in existence.”6 Some are also found in New York City including another one made by Martiny in the Chelsea neighborhood. The fact that these doughboys are found in public areas implies that they are intended for a wide range of viewership and easy access to all so everyone can learn about those who served the country in World War I. It also gives these soldiers a sense of a larger identity since this war was dehumanizing in many ways. It also shows how many men served from very small neighborhoods.

The Abingdon Square Doughboy is one of the many sculptures in New York City that represents the American soldiers from World War I. This is one of the ways that the city honors World War I in a public setting. 

Abingdon Square Doughboy 

Joseph, William and Charles Ascenzi were soldiers who, along with a fourth brother, fought in the United States Army in World War I.1 2 Joseph and William were killed in action.1 The two other brothers both survived the war, later dying in France and Mexico, respectively.2 Charles, the youngest of the four, was only 17 when he enlisted and falsified his age in order to fight.2 James Ascenzi, presumably the father of the family, was informed of his son Private Joseph Asenczi's death via telegram from Washington, D.C. on July 6, 1918. Joseph had been reported missing in action on June 6. The telegram was sent by one Adjutant General McCain.2  It wasn't until almost a year later -- April 4, 1919 -- that James received official notice of Joseph's death. He received this again via a telegram sent by Adjutant General Harris.2 Following the deaths of the Ascenzi brothers, the local American Legion Post, 1204, was renamed the Ascenzi Post.1  Then, in 1938, City Council requested the renaming of the triangle park located at the intersections of Metropolitan Ave., N. 4th St. and Roebling St. The triangle was designated Ascenzi Square on March 29, 1939.1  In 2015, Marion Ascenzi Duckworth Smith, a photographer and Charles' daughter, curated an exhibit on the Square and on her family at the City Reliquary Museum. A Williamsburg native herself, Duckworth turned 75 that year.2 The exhibit offered a chance for residents to explore the history of the area as well as its involvement in World War I.

Ascenzi Square is a small park in Williamsburg, on the corners of Metropolitan Ave, N. 4th St and Roebling St. It was built to honor Joseph and William Azcenzi, two brothers who were killed in World War I. The two of them lived with their family in Williamsburg. The Square was designated on March 29, 1939, by City Council. 

Ascenzi Square

<h1>Location &amp; History</h1>The Astoria Park War Memorial is not readily noticeable upon entering Astoria Park, as it is tucked on Shore Boulevard (which runs along the water), behind the large swimming pool, which was added almost ten years later, in 1936.1 The monument itself was commissioned by the Long Island City Committee in 1926, which erected and dedicated the piece to the residents of Long Island City who had perished in the war from 1914 to 1918.2 In total, the combined death toll for the neighborhoods of Astoria and Long Island City (Astoria had been part of Long Island city for a brief time, and the neighborhoods were often grouped together) was 101, with 39 from Astoria3 and 62 from Long Island City.4 The monument itself was designed by architecture firm Ruehl and Warren, and the art on the stone stele was sculpted by renowned American sculptor Gaetano Cecere.5 <h1>Design</h1>The monument consists of a 10" by 20' base, with a 3' by 15' pedestal, topped with a 6' by 3.9' stele.5 The decorative stele, which is a type of stone or wooden slab used as a memorial, features a female victory symbol, in which an angelic figure holds a sword in her right hand and a laurel in the other, representing the two sides of war and peace.1 The ends of the pedestal are capped with circular markings, and the sides of the stele are adorned with sculpted wreaths, additional symbols of peace. The pedestal features an inscription with a Biblical quote and a note of dedication. <h2>Inscriptions</h2>The large type of the inscription reads:<blockquote>GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS</blockquote>This quote, which comes from John 15:13, encapsulates the sacrifice that the men the monument honors demonstrated by giving up their lives for their fellow soldiers. Below the quote reads, in smaller text:<blockquote>ERECTED 1926 BY THE PEOPLE OF LONG ISLAND CITY IN HONOR OF ALL THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS WHO SERVED IN THE WORLD WAR 1914-1918</blockquote>The wording of this dedication does not specifically single out just citizens of Long Island City who laid down their lives, and does not restrict its dedication to the years 1917 and 1918, when the United States was a participant in the war. The side of the monument facing away from Shore Boulevard does not feature any designs or inscriptions. World War I, described as the Great War at the time of the monument's dedication, ended on November 11th, 1918, although many of the deaths associated with the war didn't occur until later due to injuries and illnesses.

The Astoria Park War memorial honors the men who fought and died in World War I from the neighborhood of Long Island City. Erected in 1926, it is located on the far end of Astoria Park, along Shore Boulevard. The monument consists of a wide pedestal with a decorate stone stele. A large engraving on the pedestal features a Biblical quote from John 15:13, followed by a smaller, specific dedication.

Astoria Park War Memorial

The Washington Square Association erected the flagpole in 1920 to commemorate the neighborhood residents who lost their lives in World War I.  It originally aligned with the Arch but in 1970 was moved to the east where it is located today.   Unfortunately, the base of this flagpole lists only the men from the northern portion of the park's neighborhood who were predominantly WASPs.  None of the predominantly Italian-American or African American residents who lived along the southern portion of the park and equally gave their lives are included.  

Base of the World War I Memorial Flagpole, Washington Square Park

Joseph S. Beattie lived at 247 Schenectady Avenue. His time as a private in Company G of the 305th Infantry was brief. He died in battle on October 5, 1918 of multiple wounds. One of the oldest parks in Brooklyn, it was first dedicated in 1884 and officially named in honor of Private Beattie in 1921.In 1884, Anton and Mary Vigelius dedicated a small plot of land to the city of Brooklyn on the condition that it would forever remain a park open to the public. Fifteen years later, Brooklyn was incorporated into New York City and the park came under the authority of the New York City Parks Department. Upon the insistence of the Beattie Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the park was given the name Beattie Square on February 1, 1921. In May of 1924, a 12,000-pound German Krupp gun captured by the British during the War was mounted on a concrete base in the center of the park. It was later removed and melted for scrap metal to be used for arms during World War II. Regardless, the concrete base still remains on that spot. The park itself offers a forest-like charm that makes it stand out from the surrounding area. The pathway at the entrance leads to the right of the triangle where an American flag is flown, serving as a patriotic salute to a man who sacrificed for his country.

Bordering the neighborhoods of Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Beattie Square is dedicated to Joseph S. Beattie, a local soldier who served in the United States Army during the First World War.  Beattie Square is a very small park spanning less than a tenth of an acre. It is enclosed by a Black four-foot-high fence with Broadway on its northeastern side, Vernon Avenue to the south, and Stuyvesant Avenue to the west.

Beattie Square

Prior to the Bronx Victory Memorial, the Bronx honored those it lost in the Great War in a simple way. In 1921, a short 3 years after the war's end, the American Legion planted rows of trees along the Bronx Grand Concourse, a main thoroughfare. Each tree had a bronze plaque dedicated to a fallen soldier. Unfortunately, the trees would be forced to find a new home in 1928, when the Grand Concourse would be renovated to be wider, with a new subway beneath it. At the request of several different veteran groups, the trees were to be moved and consolidated into a Memorial Grove at Pelham Bay. The efforts of these groups would coalesce and result in the eventual plan to erect a unified monument in honor of all 947 Bronx residents who died in the Great War. Initial plans for the monument were submitted in the spring of 1930 by Bronx Parks Commissioner Thomas J. Dolen to the New York City Art Commission. The site initially proposed for the monument would change to prevent the need to remove the memorial trees again, and forbid a backdrop of buildings for the new monument. A known New York-based architect of the time, John Joseph Sheridan would be commissioned to design the monument. That decision was based on his prior work, but also on the fact that he himself had served as an infantry captain during the war. The monument he conceived would be built: flanked by two gravel paths with granite flagstone borders around a rectangular floral bed, including numerous types of flowers. A hedge of barberry and Carolina hemlock framed the entire garden. On the south side of the monument, on either side of a set of a central staircase are limestone urns and huge terra-cotta pots. At the terrace level, on the side of the monument’s base are reliefs depicting regiments of soldiers as they march. Likely the most notable aspect of the memorial is the 18-foot-tall, 7,300 pound “Lady of Victory” stood atop a stone globe at the end of a 70-foot-tall columnn. All this rests atop the 18-foot-tall base, which gives the monument over 110 feet in total height. Stylistically, the monument follows in the American tradition of erecting monuments in the Greco-Roman style.   The monument was dedicated, with much fanfare, on September 24, 1933. Mayor John P. O’Brien (1873–1951), Commissioner Dolen, and former acting mayor Joseph V. McKee (1889-1956) all gave addresses. A parade took place, featuring a massing of colors, an aviation display and live music performed by the Police, Fire and Sanitation Departments’ bands. Mrs. Julia Zimmerman, president of the Bronx Gold Star Mothers would unveil the statue.

Widely considered to be one of the most impressive monuments in all of New York City, the Bronx Victory Memorial stands over 110 feet tall in Pelham Bay Park. It serves to honor the 947 World War 1 servicemen from the Bronx who lost their lives in the first world war. It was erected in 1932 and dedicated in 1933. 

Bronx Victory Memorial

The doughboy statue in Chelsea, NYC is about fourteen feet tall and portrays a soldier holding a rifle with a flag over his shoulders during a battle. The statue was a gift from the Chelsea Memorial Committee, costing over $10,000. It was designed by Charles Rollinson Lamb and sculpted by Philip Martiny. The statue takes place at Chelsea Park on 9th Ave. between 27th and 28th Streets, and it was dedicated on April 7, 1921. The inscription says: “TO / THE SOLDIERS / AND SAILORS / OF CHELSEA / WORLD WAR / 1914-1918”The term “doughboys”, which referred to the US troops deployed to Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, has somewhat unknown origins. There are multiple theories as to where the nickname came from. One possibility is that “doughboy” refers to the way that the soldiers cooked their rations. They would use doughy flour and rice cooked over fire around a bayonet. Another theory is that the nickname comes from the coats that the US infantrymen wore which had distinct brass buttons. It was told that the buttons appeared to be similar to the dumplings which the soldiers and sailors ate early on which may have been part of the American cooking.In the nineteenth century, men in the US army used pipe clay to polish their uniforms and belts. When the men went out in the rain, the clay had a “doughy” appearance. The infantrymen in particular would get this look as they would kick the mud and dirty water up from the puddles as they were marching. General Bliss wrote a memoir, stating that infantrymen along the Texas border used flour to whiten their uniforms when they were invading Mexico. Another older theory is that the nickname comes from the infantrymen marching over the dry desert land of Northern Mexico which caused a stir of a lot of dust which gave them the appearance of adobe buildings in the area.

The Doughboy Statue at Chelsea Park was dedicated on April 7, 1921 after being donated by the Chelsea Memorial Committee. Its dimensions are 14'3" in height, 8' in width, and 5'6" in depth. The statue portrays a bronze figure on a pedestal in front of a wall. The figure depicts a soldier holding a rifle with a flag over his shoulders in the scene of a battle. It is named the "Doughboy" Statue because US infantrymen during World War I were referred to as doughboys, and the term itself was used during the Mexican-American war in 1846-1848 as well. After WWI, nine doughboy statues were erected in NYC parks. There is an inscription on the statue which says: "TO / THE SOLDIERS / AND SAILORS / OF CHELSEA / WORLD WAR / 1914-1918"

Chelsea Park - World War I Doughboy Statue

<h4>Location &amp; Context</h4>This monument is located at the southeast entrance of the De Witt Clinton Park, in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan (W 52nd and 11th Ave). It was constructed by sculptor Burt W. Johnson and architect Harvey Wiley Corbett, and was dedicated on June 8, 1930 by “comrades and friends.” It honors the young men of the neighborhood who died in World War I. The dedication inscription on the backside of the foundation reads:<blockquote>DEDICATED ON / MEMORIAL DAY 1930 / BY COMRADES AND FRIENDS / UNDER THE AUSPICES OF / CLINTON DISTRICT MONUMENT / ASSOCIATION AS A MEMORIAL / TO THE YOUNG FOLK OF THIS / NEIGHBORHOOD WHO GAVE / THEIR ALL IN THE WORLD WAR</blockquote><h4>"Doughboy"</h4>The statue itself is of a WWI infantryman, otherwise known as a “doughboy.” The term was popularized in the United States during the course of WWI (1914-18) in reference to infantrymen. The origins of the term are unknown, but one theory is that it originated from the buttons on the uniforms of the infantrymen, which looked like little flour dumplings called, "doughboys."1 Another possibility is that the term is in reference to the ways that the soldiers cooked their rations, which usually consisted of doughy flour and rice.1 This statue is one of nine “doughboy” memorials erected in New York City’s parks. <h4>Flanders Fields</h4>The engraving on the front of the statue’s foundation is an excerpt of the 1915 poem titled, “In Flanders Fields.” It reads:<blockquote>FROM "FLANDERS FIELDS" / IF YE BREAK FAITH / WITH THOSE WHO DIED / WE SHALL NOT SLEEP / THOUGH POPPIES GROW / ON FLANDERS FIELDS</blockquote>The poem was written during the war by Canadian physician and lieutenant John McCrae, who lost his friend in the Second Battle of Ypres.2 This battle was fought from April 22 to May 25, 1915, in the Flanders region of Ypres, Belgium, on the Western Front. This battle began as a German offensive to gain control of the strategic town, and marked Germany’s first mass use of poison gas.3 McCrae's poem illustrates the devastating circumstances and death toll of the battle. Interestingly enough, the excerpt of the poem is not an exact copy-- the third line should read, "if ye break faith with us who die," rather than "if ye break faith with those who died." Johnson changed "us" to "those" and "die" to "died." Both of these changes alter the tone of the poem from active to passive-- from addressing a reader that is a participant in the war, to a reader that is removed from it. Perhaps Johnson altered the wording in order for the excerpt to better suit the purpose of the memorial; to honor those who died in the war. Johnson also included a floral tribute in the palm of his doughboy statue, drawing on the poppy imagery of the Flanders Fields poem.

The Clinton War Memorial honors the young men of Hell's Kitchen who died in World War I. It is located in the De Witt Clinton Park of Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. Dedicated on June 8, 1930, the memorial consists of a statue of an infantryman ("doughboy") holding peonies and a rifle, as well as an engraved foundation. The foundation features the 1915 poem, "In Flanders Fields," as well as a dedication on the rear of the memorial.

Clinton War Memorial

The Coleman playground acts as a tribute to those who from the surrounding neighborhood who fought in World War 1. Coleman, who resided on Madison Street, was the son of Thomas Coleman and Mary Hurley. During the war, Coleman fought as a part of the 321st Field Artillery and the 82nd Division of the American Expeditionary Force. Coleman served in France and on June 16th, 1919 (approximately 7 months after the wars end), Coleman died in a Field Hospital in Hoboken New Jersey. Six months after his death, the New York City Board of Alderman decided to name the park after this local boy who fought and died for his country.   The importance of this site comes from the history of the 82nd division that Coleman was a part of, and the American Expeditionary force as a whole which the 82nd fell under. Although the United States had participated in World War 1 for a few months before the creation of the American Expeditionary Force, America only fought within the ranks of the French and British units. It was only until the American Expeditionary Force's creation in October of 1917 that the United States had an independent military presence in Europe. Commanded by General John Joseph Pershing, the American Expeditionary Force fought their first battle in the trenches of Nancy France with their 1st division. It was not until May of 1918 that the American Expeditionary Force gained its full autonomy after their victory in Cantigny, and instead of french troops being supported by the Americans, the french started to support the AEF instead. The American Expeditionary Force went on to front the Meuse- Argonne offensive, which was the bloodiest offensive for the United States military in World War 1.   The history of the Coleman Playground has been all but forgotten unfortunately. Not much information can be found about Joseph Francis Coleman, and there are no plaques honoring him or the American Expeditionary Force on location. This tribute to Coleman has become a frequented skate park and children's playground, and overtime it's significance has become less and less known. Although few know the background behind the Coleman Playground, it still stands as a memorial and commemoration to Coleman and other New York members of the American Expeditionary Force who fought valiantly and died during World War 1.

Centering around Monroe St, Pike St, and Cherry Street, the Coleman Playground honors Corporal Joseph Francis Coleman.  Coleman entered World War 1 as a member of the 82nd division of the American Expeditionary Force. 

Coleman Playground

Corporal Frank Farrell Fagan was born on January 14, 1896 in Astoria, Queens. He enlisted in the Marines in Philadelphia on May 2, 1917 and served overseas in France in the 43rd Company of the 5th Regiment until 1919. While he was in France, he fought in numerous battles including the Aisne Defensive in the Chateau-Thierry Sector, the Aisne-Marne Offensive, and the St. Mihiel Offensive.The Aisne Defensive in the Chateau-Thierry Sector helped turn German forces back after their attack of the Champagne on May 27, 1918. On July 15, 1918, the Allies defeated German forces and captured Soissons in the Aisne-Marne Offensive. On September 12, 1918, Corporal Fagan fought in the St. Mihiel Offensive, led by Major General John Pershing. The St. Mihiel Offensive was the first independent demonstration of American strength on the Western Front (Urban Areas).Fagan was promoted to Corporal on January 1, 1918, receiving the French Croix de Guerre with a gilt star for coolness and bravery. The French Croix de Guerre was created in 1915 to award all members of the Allied Forces for acts of courage in battle. He was discharged with excellent character on August 13, 1919.This site was acquired by New York City Parks by condemnation on June 18, 1915 and the square was named for and dedicated to Fagan by local law on May 3, 1932. Despite the dedication to Corporal Fagan, the site does not contain a plaque honoring his contribution to the First World War. Corporal Frank F. Fagan Square, also know as Fagan Square, is part of the Greenstreets Program. This is a joint project of New York City Parks and the New York City Department of Transportation, which began in 1986 and was revived in 1994 with the goal to convert paved street properties, such as triangles and malls, into green spaces.

Corporal Frank F. Fagan Square honors a World War I veteran that was born in Astoria, Queens. In 1917, he enlisted in Philadelphia as a Marine in the 43rd Company of the 5th Regiment and served until 1919. New York City Parks acquired the site on June 18, 1915 and the square was named for Corporal Fagan on May 3, 1932.

Corporal Frank F. Fagan Square

In April 1917, the United States declared themselves apart from the Allies with Britain and France against the Central Powers. Due to German submarines, that attacked and sunk United States ships filled with artillery to Britain, ultimately having the United States enter the War after the fact. Pietro Montana created symbolism within his sculpture. It's a physical representation of the fallen soldiers' and that their spirits are heading towards glory in the afterlife. 10,000 people showed up for the unveiling of "Dawns of Glory" on July 13, 1928. World War I took a toll on the United States with 116,516 deaths out of the 4.7 million men that served. Disease and sickness killed approximately 320,000 soldiers. Due to American soldiers being on European soil, they caught the influenza epidemic that manifested in 1918, killing around 50 million people worldwide in eighteen months. Influenza hit all participants in the War but hit the United States uniquely because it hit when it was during the United States greatest campaign in the War. In the beginning of the epidemic, more than 1 million men caught the sickness and the Navy recorded 5,000 deaths from pneumonia. The United States entered the War when the Allies were in chaos on the European fronts. Overall, the United States fought in 13 campaigns during the Great War. Most of the battles lasted one to three months. From influenza epidemic, death by artillery to chemical weapons, United States lost a lot of brave soldiers. This monument is to commemorate those who have fought for the War. Bushwick, Brooklyn was home to many Italian immigrants starting from the late 1800s as immigration would be at an all-time high before the start of the World War. Many Italian Americans fought during the War and had the option to fight for Italy who were part of the Entente. In the beginning of the Italian immigration to the United Staes, Italians were seen as uneducated, had problems learning the English language and their negative stereotype of the Mafia. But the War would help the immigrants and America find a balance of acceptance. Italian immigrants who fought for the Allies showed acts of heroism. When the War ended it would spark a new beginning for the new era of Italian immigrants. Hence, Dawn of Glory was a symbolism for all the soldiers who fought in the War, especially Italian immigrants who settled down in Bushwick, Brooklyn during their immigration era.

This monument is located on Jamaica Ave and Cleveland Street in Highland Park in Brooklyn. This monument was created in 1928 by Pietro Montana, an Italian-American sculptor. It is a figure of bronze color on a pedestal. The monument is to honor those in the local community who served the United States in World War I. The statue is of a man standing face turned skyward who has unveiled as a spirit and has his dead corpse on his shoulders like a blanket. 

Dawns of Glory

Tremont lies on the west side of the Bronx, a northern borough of New York City. The neighborhood used to be farmland in the late 1800s until a major railway opened in the center, and turned the city into a thoroughfare. Private Devanney grew up at 376 143rd Street, which lies south of the triangle on the other side of the Harlem River.Devanney was a member of the 308th Infantry which was a unit of the United States Army that fought with the 77th Infantry in Europe. The unit left from New York on April 6th, 1918 aboard three ships, the Lapland, the Cretic, and the Justicia, and arrived in Britain on April 19th. Company E fought under British command and was one of the first units to take front line positions. The 308th Infantry is known as the Lost Battalion for fighting in the Argonne Forest, and suffering defeat at the German hands. After believing they had support from fellow American and French troops, the 308th Infantry advanced into the forest, and soon was surrounded by German forces. Devanney lost his life during this battle, as well as almost two-thirds of the division that resulted in casualties.

Nestled between the hustle and bustle of main street Tremont, a neighborhood in the Bronx, Devanney Triangle is a small park named after Private Patrick J. Devanney. Devanney served in Company E of the 308th Infantry during World War I. The park was dedicated to the private on May 22nd 1940 to “pay tribute to the memory of one who made the supreme sacrifice in the World War.” Devanney was wounded in the war and later died from his injuries just weeks before the war ended. The park features lots of green space, and multiple sitting benches.  


Devanney Triangle

Donnellan Square is located in Hamilton Heights, which is the upper part of Manhattan. It is relatively small compared to other memorials in New York City that is dedicated to World War I.1However, Donnellan Square serves as a place for comfort and peace for Hamilton Heights Residents. The square has six benches and four trash cans that the residents can use. Because of its cheerful and serene location, many locals enjoy what the park has to offer. When I was there, there were children playing around the park and older generation reading newspaper while drinking coffee.  Timothy Donnellan served in the 69th Infantry of NY. 69th Infantry was part of the famous “Rainbow Division”. 69th Infantry Regiment was activated in October of 1917.3 The Division arrived in France in November and December of 1917 and trained in Eastern France. During its time in France, the 42nd Division participated in six major campaigns and incurred one-out-of-sixteen casualties suffered by the American Army during the war.2 It was considered to be one of the bravest and courageous infantry division in WW I. Famous members include William Donovan, Francis Duffy, Michael Donaldson. The square is filled with interesting and fascinating facts. The square has a large spelling problem. New York City record only has a record of “John Donnellon” who lived at 480 Covenant Ave, Hamilton Heights and fought for the war. On the other hand, Timothy Donnellan did fight in the war but doesn't have any record. Interestingly, New York City Department of Park and Recreation ignored the spelling problem.4 Also, the square shows a heartbroken story between Timothy Donnellan and Mrs. Thomas Loonan, sister of Timothy Donnellan. She receives a letter stating that her brother had been killed from defending post on May 30 of 1918. On the same date, she receives a letter from Donnellan that he was in good health and ready to fight the enemy.1

Located between West 150th Street and St.Nicholas Place, Donnellan Square is a small park in Hamilton Heights, New York. The memorial was created to commemorate Private Timothy Donnellan, who was a resident of Hamilton Heights. Donellan was an Irish immigrant who came to the United States in 1916. Donnellan enlisted himself to serve in the 69th Infantry of New York. 

Donnellan Square

The Dorrance Brooks Square is .038 acres in size. It is located on Edgecombe Avenue, between 135th and 136th Street. It sits right next to St. Nicholas Park. The small park is lined with benches and London Plane trees. An entrance to 135 St MTA stop is found within the park itself. The park was created on June 14, 1925. The Dorrance Brooks Property Owners and Residents Association partners with the 369th Historical Society to help augment NYC Parks’ efforts to care for this site with such significant historical associations.The Dorrance Brooks Square is a memorial park dedicated to Dorrance Brooks, and African American soldier who died in France, during World War I. The square has always been a central point for the fight for racial equality, since its creation in 1925. The park represented the President Truman once gave a speech at the small park to a crowd of 50,000, celebrating the desegregation of services (The American Presidency Project). Additionally, the square was a major source of inspiration during the Harlem Renaissance. During the late 1960s, Dr. Mamie Clark and Ella Baker founded, right across from the square, the “We Care” organization, which helped Harlem residents find employment (Harlem One Stop).Dorrance Brooks was part of the 369th Infantry Regiment, which consisted of only African and Puerto Rican Americans, during both World Wars. He was a Private First Class at the time of his death. The 369th Infantry Regiment was nicknamed the “Hell Fighters” by the Germans due to their toughness in battle (Black Soldiers of New York State, 2009). Before the 369th Infantry Regiment was constituted, on June 2, 1913, African-American soldiers were typically sent to fill vacancies within the French armies. With the formation of this regiment, many African-Americans saw it as an opportunity to prove their capabilities, and alter the way that they were perceived by their white counterparts (Fighting for Respect: African American Soldiers in WWI, 2015).

The Dorrance Brooks Square is a park named in honor of Dorrance Brooks (d. 1918), an African American soldier who died in France shortly before the end of World War I. A native of Harlem and the son of a Civil War veteran, Brooks was a Private First Class in the 15th Infantry. Brooks was praised for his “signal bravery” in leading the remnants of his company after his superior officers were killed.

Dorrance Brooks Square

It honors the Dover Patrol, a unit of the Royal Navy based off of Dover and Dunkirk from 1914 to 1918 and whose primary mission was to safeguard the English Channel, preventing the German Navy from using it and therefore forcing it to take the long route through the North Sea) and preventing, though not always successfully, any attacks from German U-boats in the English Channel. Other responsibilities that fell on the Dover Patrol during the war include the escorting of Allied ships, for which they had an extremely high rate of success, and the transportation and send off of both air and naval forces. It is perhaps best known for its involvement in the Raid of Zeebrugge, an unsuccessful operation in Belgium meant to prevent further German naval vessels from reaching the English Channel by blocking the port of Ostend, and perhaps of opening another front by providing transport to ground troops meant to reach Zeebrugee. Nevertheless the day of the operation strong winds prevented the initial smoke screen from proving effective, and the rapid change in the tides quickly dismantled the planned strategy and the positions of the vessels involved. This resulted in some attacks being rendered obsolete as some ships had been blown from their initial positions and their guns could no longer fire on the desired objectives, and some ships sustaining damage or even being sunk due to the mines placed around the area that they would have otherwise avoided. On the first side, the following is inscribed: ""This monument/to the/Dover Patrol/Erected as a tribute to the/comradeship and service of the/American Naval Forces/in Europe/during the World War". The second side has the inscription "1931" on it, signifying the year of arrival of the memorial to the park , and the third side expresses: "To the glory of God/ and in everlasting/ remembrance of the Dover Patrol/ 1914-1919/They died what we might live/may we be/worthy of their sacrifice”.

The Dover Patrol Monument was given to the park as a gift by Sir Aston Webb, the English architect that designed the original Dover Patrol Monument located at St. Margaret's Bay in England, along with another replica that stands today in Cap Blanc-Nez, France. It stands at 75 feet tall and is made up of grey granite blocks. It has four sides, three with inscriptions and one with a shield-like mantle on what seems like a window.  It is an exact replica of the original and was initially located in Fort Hamilton until 1961, when it was moved to the John Paul Jones Park in order to facilitate the construction of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge.


Dover Patrol Monument-John Paul Jones Park

The first trees along the Eastern Parkway marked the Armistice that ended World War I. After the Armistice, local residents planted more trees honoring their fallen along Brooklyn's historic Eastern Parkway. In front of each tree was a plaque containing the soldiers name and unit. The soldiers honored had all been residents of the local community.Over the course of the following century, many of the veterans of World War I were forgotten and many of the plaques that used to line the Eastern Parkway have been stolen or vandalized. In some cases, metal runoff from the plaques were poisoning the very trees they had dedicated to the dead. Few of the original plaques remain at the by the turn of the century. In 2005 Mayor Bloomberg announced plans to restore the Eastern Parkway, along with the forgotten memorials to the fallen. In recent years, the plaques that remained are once again visible as the city has worked to remove weeds and grass that had covered some of the plaques. Some new trees have been planted to keep their memories alive, but the remains of partially destroyed plaques still dot the pathways of the Eastern Parkway.

During the 1920s, hundreds of plaques were dedicated alongside trees that were planted along Eastern Parkway. These trees and plaques each honored one Brooklyn resident who had lost his life during the Great War, known today as World War I. The plaques contained the soldiers name and information about their service. As a century has passed, many of these plaques have been stolen or destroyed and some of the trees have been removed by the city. 

Eastern Avenue World War I Armistice Trees and Plaques

American troops returning from Europe after the war in 1918 were greeted with an official reception in Madison Square Park and the spot of the reception was chosen in 1923 as the spot for a memorial. The memorial was commissioned by Rodman Wanamaker, a wealthy New Yorker that was very involved in the war effort and the nation’s single largest purchaser of war bonds, for $25,000 (or roughly $365,000 as of 2017). The pedestal was designed by notable architect Thomas Hastings and the bronze base of the flagpole was designed by Paul Wayland Bartlett. The granite pedestal was completed and dedicated in 1923 and the bronze base and flagstaff were completed and installed in 1924.The granite base of the memorial has many inscriptions on it. On the central columnn, each face has an inscription, as do the raised edges of the pedestal base. The east face of the columnn reads “TO OUR HEROES/ ‘TIS THE/ STAR SPANGLED BANNER/ OH LONG MAY IT WAVE/ OER THE LAND/ OF THE FREE/ AND THE HOME OF/ THE BRAVE”, the west face reads “AN ETERNAL LIGHT/ AN INSPIRATION/ AND A PROMISE OF/ ENDURING PEACE/ THIS STAR WAS LIGHTED/ NOVEMBER XI MCMXXIII”, the north face reads “IN MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO HAVE MADE/ THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ FOR THE TRIUMPH OF/ THE FREE PEOPLES/ OF THE WORLD” and the south face reads “ERECTED/ TO COMEMORATE/ THE FIRST HOMECOMING/ OF THE VICTORIOUS/ ARMY AND NAVY/ OF THESE UNITED STATES/ OFICIALLY RECEIVED BY/ THE CITY OF NEW YORK/ ON THIS SITE/ ANNO DOMINI MCMXVIII”. The bottom edges of the pedestal are inscribed with the names of major battles that American troops were involved in including Ypres, the Somme, Champagne-Marne, Cambrai, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The monument has played a role in New York life since it was erected. In 1927, national hero Charles Lindbergh made a stop during a parade celebrating his historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean to lay a wreath at the monument. The force of the crowds watching Lindbergh was so great that the police barriers broke and the police had to physically hold people back. The monument also serves as the starting point for the city’s annual Veterans’ Day Parade, an event that has been taking place since 1919 and is the largest such parade in the nation. One hour before the parade starts, a wreath is laid at the monument to commemorate those that served in the First World War and to honor those that died. As a prominent symbol in New York and a site that is memorialized on Veterans’ Day every year, not coincidentally the same day the flagstaff was dedicated, this monument continues to serve as an enduring reminder of the heroism and sacrifice of American soldiers in the First World War.

The Eternal Light Flagstaff is a public monument in New York City’s Madison Square Park dedicated to American soldiers from New York that served in World War One. The flagstaff and granite pedestal was erected on the site that the returning soldiers were officially received in 1918 after their service overseas. The monument was dedicated on Armistice Day 1918, exactly five years after the end of the war.  On the top of the flagpole is an illuminated star, lit at all times in remembrance of the American soldiers that gave their lives in the war. The base is inscribed with dedications to the soldiers and the names of major actions that American soldiers participated in in the First World War.


Eternal Light Flagstaff

Finn Square is an urban triangle located at the Varick Street intersection with Franklin Street and West Broadway in Tribeca. In 1919, the Board of Aldermen dedicated the triangle after the Armistice for Private Philip Schuyler Finn who was killed in action on March 7, 1918 while serving as a member of Company E, 165th Infantry (Fitzpatrick). At the time, American soldiers were supporting the French battle against Germany on the Western Front. The 165th Infantry, whose ranks composed of Irish-Americans and New Yorkers, was sent over to the Western Front in October 1917 as part of the 42nd Rainbow Division of the American Expeditionary Force (Harris). After extensive training near Valcouleurs and Grand, the regiment had its first combat experience on 26 February 1918 in the trenches of the Rouge Bouquet Chaussilles Sector in the Foret de Parroy (Harris). Near this area in Lunéville, a single artillery shell dropped on the dugout and simultaneously buried twenty-one young men, including Private Finn, forty feet underground (Fitzpatrick). Sergent Joyce Kilmer memorialized the incident in his poem "Rouge Bouquet," (Harris). Although the park was created to commemorate Private Finn’s death, the site conjured up memories of his father, Daniel E. Finn, also known as “Battery Dan,” who was a Tammany Hall politician and Democratic leader of Lower Manhattan (Fitzpatrick). Elder Finn earned fame through successfully opposing the construction of commercial piers Battery Park for the necessity for open space in a crowded neighborhood. His brave and honest actions in protecting community’s interests earned him the title “idealist” and “a friend of the people,” (Fitzpatrick). Among the memorials of the Great War, Finn Square was the first park to be named after and dedicated to New York casualty of WWI (Fitzpatrick). During the regiment's 164 days of front-line combat, the total casualties amounted to 644 killed in action and 2,587 wounded (Harris). The park was dedicated to commemorate the lost lives in the war and remind the public about their sacrifices. Finn Square is no longer marked but a single plaque informs passersby of its brief historical significance. For almost 70 years, the park was neglected by the city. However, in April 1998, the park was revived under the leadership of Greenstreet who gathered community volunteers to plant flowers and maintain the garden (New York City Department of Parks &amp; Recreation). This major transformation turned the untamed triangle into an attractive green space.

Finn Square, located in Tribeca, was dedicated to Private Finn who died in action during World War I. This was the first park to be named after and dedicated to New York casualties of World War I. Through community initiatives in 1998, the park was revived and transformed into an attractive green space. 

Finn Square

Flushing Fields, the park in which the Flushing World War Memorial is situated in, was originally open farmland until its acquisition by the Memorial Field of Flushing Corporation in 1921. From then to this day, the park has served as a popular sports venue for local schools and organizations.Despite revenue from sports games, the Memorial Field of Flushing Corporation failed to meet financial expectations regarding property-related taxes. This delayed the construction of the monument. A portion of the property was transferred to the New York City Department of Parks &amp; Recreation in 1930, which allowed sufficient funding to continue. An additional portion of the property was allocated to the Board of Education, largely for use by Flushing High School due to its close proximity. The Flushing World War Memorial was completed in 1935.Upon complete acquisition of Flushing Fields in 2000, New York City divided the park into three sections: the Memorial Field of Flushing to the south (this contains the Flushing World War Memorial), the Flushing High School Memorial Field in the middle, and the Leonardo Ingravallo Playground at the northern end. Among the park's amenities are a playground, a baseball field, two softball fields, basketball and handball courts. The park is also the home field for Flushing High School's track, softball, and football teams.

Located in the southern tip of the Flushing Fields public park, the Flushing World War Memorial recognizes local residents who died in First World War. Their names are inscribed in a bronze plaque centered within the granite monument. Benches of the same material encompass both sides of the monument. Several steps away lies a smaller stone plaque, naming a few key individuals responsible for the development of the park and the memorial.

Flushing World War Memorial

Queens’ Forest Park, which borders the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, Glendale and Woodhaven, is home to the Memorial Trees on Forest Park Drive.1 In 1919, The Woodhaven War Heroes Permanent Memorial Committee, a product of the cooperation of several local organizations, met to create a plan to honor the 53 fallen Woodhaven men.2 The committee decided to plant an oak tree for each man around Forest Park’s golf clubhouse. The trees would receive silver name plates, and the soldiers were to be immortalized in a granite monument with a bronze plaque containing their names. The trees were planted by the end of April, and a ceremony was held on May 11th, 1919. 17 more trees were planted in later years to include the men who had parents living in Woodhaven, or were reported, by conflicting newspapers, to have been from Woodhaven or Ozone Park or Cypress Hills.2Subsequent Woodhaven Memorial Day parades would begin at 91st Avenue and 84th Street and end with a ceremony at the Memorial Trees, which were decorated with notes, flowers and red, white and blue ribbons.2 In the 1930s, Woodhaven Boulevard was widened from a single road to ten lanes, and this forced the Woodhaven chapter of the American Legion, a wartime veteran’s organization, to move to a new address.3 The granite monument with the plaque was moved from Forest Park to the front yard of the American Legion Post 118 headquarters. From 1942, the Memorial Day parade still began at 91st Avenue and 84th Street, but instead of ending at the Memorial Trees, passed through a new World War II monument.3 The parade ended at the Post 118 building, where a Garden of Remembrance was set up in the yard, as it was dotted with white crosses.As the parade moved away, and the community grew, the traditions and the history behind the Memorial Trees became lost. Ed Wendell, President of the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society, came across an article about the Memorial Trees in the Brooklyn Eagle archives.4 He read that the trees were along the part of Forest Park Drive that ran in front of Oak Ridge. Oak Ridge is the former golf clubhouse turned administrative office of Forest Park. In late 2014, Wendell was able to identify the remaining Memorial Trees by looking at an aerial photo of the area from 1924.5 After more than 70 years, the Memorial Trees were decorated for Memorial Day in 2015. The endeavor was made possible by the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society, American Legion Post 118 and Project Woodhaven.6 On May 20th, 2017, Forest Park Drive was officially co-named Forest Park Memorial Drive to not only honor the Memorial Trees, but the other war memorials scattered throughout the park.7

Fifty-three oak trees were planted along Forest Park Drive in April 1919, with 17 more added in later years, to honor the young men Woodhaven lost in the First World War. The trees were at the center of annual Memorial Day parades until 1942, when the parade was rerouted to other parts of Woodhaven. Over the following decades, the celebrations involving the Memorial Trees stopped, and the trees’ significance was eventually forgotten. In 2015, the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society rediscovered the trees and revived the tradition of tying ribbons around the many Memorial Trees still standing today.  

Forest Park Memorial Trees

The statue, created by Anton Schaaf in 1923, stands on an inscribed granite base.1 The front of the pedestal reads "Dedicated to the Men of the 14th Infantry Who Were Engaged in the World War 1917-1918". The inscription on the rear of the base states, "To Commemorate and the Perpetuate their Heroic Services and their Unselfish Devotion to Duty". The sides of the granite base include two different quotes. One side has the quotation "Strike for Your Altars and Your Fires Strike for the Green Graves of Your Sires God and Your Native Land" and the other side reads "And How Can Man Die Better Than Facing Fearful Odds for the Ashes of His Fathers and the Temple of His Gods".2The Fourteenth Regiment Memorial statue is a classic depiction of a doughboy, a World War I U.S. Soldier. 3 "A steel-helmeted infantryman, holding his rifle at the ready, bayonet in place, charges towards the enemy".4 The statue is paying respect to the 14th Infantry Regiment, a volunteer force which fought in World War I. 5The statue was temporally removed on May 13, 1996 and returned on May 23 of the same year. It was removed in an attempt to preserve the armories historic sculptures. The statue was cleaned in order to clean off the collected grime and natural deterioration of the bronze in the elements. In response to neighborhood discontent, especially among veterans, the statue was returned to its original spot, as well as several other armory artifacts. 6The Park Slope armory building, formerly known as the 14th Regiment Armory, is a short distance away from Prospect Park and multiple subway stations. The neighborhood surrounding the Armory was once home to mostly working class people, after the Great Depression. Today, however, many of the buildings are home to the middle and upper-middle class. 7Within the Armory building there is a Veterans Museum, contributed to by veterans in the community and by the curators of the building itself. The Museum not only contains history of American veterans going back as far as the Revolutionary Way, but it also contains interesting facts and artifacts about New York City, the Park Slope Area and the Armory building itself. The website has extensive information on the museum.8 <a href="http://parkslopeveteransmuseum.net/" target="_blank">http://parkslopeveteransmuseum.net/</a>

A bronze nine-foot-tall statue of a U.S. soldier holding a bayonet commemorates the men of the 14th Infantry who fought in World War I. The statues stands in front of the Park Slope Armory, formerly known as the 14th Regiment Armory.
The statue is at the front the building, on the corner of 15th Street and Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. 

Fourteenth Regiment Memorial 

The Freedom Triangle memorial features a statue and its pedestal within a patch of trees and bushes in otherwise concrete section of Brooklyn. The monument commemorates the soldiers native to this borough who lost their lives fighting in Europe during the First World War. Approximately ten percent of the soldiers who served in the US Army came from the state of New York. Men from Nassau and Suffolk counties account for 347 casualties, and a few dozen of these men are listed on the Freedom Triangle pedestal.  New York also served a wider logistical role during the war. Being the United State's chief port in the Atlantic across from the European theater, New York's shipping networks were responsible for much of the maritime supply lines. New York is also the port city where many of the soldiers embarked from and returned, including the thousands of coffins for which the Freedom Triangle commemorates those who lost their lives from the sprawling borough.

Freedom Triangle is located between the busy avenues of Bushwick and Mytrle in the heart of the bustling borough of Bushwick in NYC.  The monument commemorates the Brooklyn soldiers who lost their lives while serving overseas in the First World War. 

Freedom Triangle, Brooklyn World War I Monument 

This bronze figure was made in 1919 to commemorate soldiers from the communities of Bushwhick or Ridgewood who fought in the first World War. The figure was sculpted by Italian-American artist Pietro Montana (1890–1978) and was the first of six so called "Doughboy" status of his to be displayed publicly, with the other being located in Suffern, New York, Riverdale, New Jersey, North Arlington, New Jersey, Wanaque, New Jersey, and Alliance, Ohio.The sculpture was unveiled in 1921 following parades and and placement of floral wreaths around its base, as per tradition floral wreaths remain at the base of the statue. Following the parade and ceremonial removal of the shroud by daughters of the soldiers, the statue was officially offered to Mayor John F. Hylan by Municipal Court Judge Harrison Glore, chairman of the monument committee.$7,000 dollars of the statues funding was provided by citizens of Bushwick and Ridgewood contributed $7,000 towards the commission, which adjusted for inflation is $102,425.70, with the rest of the funding coming from the city. The statue underwent cleaning and renovation after sustaining considerable wear and tear in 2001.

This bronze figure was made in 1919 to commemorate soldiers from the communities of Bushwhick or Ridgewood who fought in the first World War. The figure was sculpted by Italian-American artist Pietro Montana (1890–1978) and was the first of six so called "Doughboy" status of his to be displayed publicly, with the other being located in Suffern, New York, Riverdale, New Jersey, North Arlington, New Jersey, Wanaque, New Jersey, and Alliance, Ohio.
The sculpture was unveiled in 1921 following parades and and placement of floral wreaths around its base, as per tradition floral wreaths remain at the base of the statue. Following the parade and ceremonial removal of the shroud by daughters of the soldiers, the statue was officially offered to Mayor John F. Hylan by Municipal Court Judge Harrison Glore, chairman of the monument committee. 
$7,000 dollars of the statues funding was provided by citizens of Bushwick and Ridgewood contributed $7,000 towards the commission, which adjusted for inflation is $102,425.70, with the rest of the funding coming from the city. The statue underwent cleaning and renovation after sustaining considerable wear and tear in 2001.

Heisser Triangle Bushwick-Ridgewood Memorial

The land on which the park now sits was originally owned by Louis and Berta Dreyfus, owners of the L.A. Dreyfus Company, which produced the base for chewing gum companies. The property consisted of a two acre field with a large rock in the center, about twelve feet tall. The rock was thought to resemble a sugar loaf, and thus was henceforth dubbed "Sugar Loaf Rock." At the turn of the twentieth century, many of the local kids would come to play in the field and climb on Sugar Loaf Rock. The Great War broke out in 1914, and once the United States started to play an active role in the war in 1917, many Staten Islanders responded to the call. By 11 November 1918, 144 would be killed. The names of these men, who may have once played in the field surrounding Sugar Loaf Rock, are listed on a brass plaque placed on the northeast face. Facing southwest is another plaque, briefly noting the history of the rock, it having been placed in its present location by a glacier thousands of years ago. This plaque also notes how the rock has been, in a sense, re-purposed to commemorate Staten Island's fallen soldiers of the "Great War." The land was donated by the Dreyfuses to the City of New York and turned into Hero Park in 1920. A plaque on the southeast face recognizes the Dreyfuses, their contribution in donating the land, and their role in upholding the memory of the heroes the park's name memorializes. In the following decades, Hero Park greatly changed. Vandalism plagued the park over the years. Sugar Loaf Rock was covered with graffiti, vestiges of which can still be seen today. Due the substantial efforts of the Parks Department, the park has been cleaned up. Many of the plaques by each tree mentioning the names of each fallen Staten Islander were stolen, until eventually the New York Parks Department removed the rest, and consequently none remain. Despite this, today Hero Park can continue to do proper justice to the servicemen from Staten Island that gave their lives during the First World War.

In 1920, this plot of land was donated to the City of New York and named Hero Park, in honor of the 144 Staten Island men who were killed in the Great War.  Sugar Loaf Rock, the most prominent feature located towards the center of the park, has been adorned with several plaques (pictured below) which honor the men by name and further emphasize the Staten Island heritage of these brave men.

Hero Park - Sugar Loaf Rock

The Plaque reads:IN HONOR OF THEMEN WHO SERVED IN DEFENSEOF OUR COUNTRYAND IN SACRED MEMORY OFTHOSE WHO MADETHE SUPREME SACRIFCE The Inscription on the monument itself reads: WE SHALL KEEP THE FAITHWE CHERISH, TOO, THE POPPY REDTHAT GROWS ON FIELDS WHERE VALOR LED;IT SEEMS TO SIGNAL TO THE SKIESTHAT BLOOD OF HEROES NEVER DIES,OF THE FLOWER THAT BLOOMS ABOVE THE HEADIN FLANDERS FIELD MOINA MICHAEL NOVEMBER 1918 Moina Michael was a professor teaching at the University of Georgia in 1917, the year the United States entered World War I. Michael was in Europe during the early and mid-summer of 1914 and when war broke out in August, she travelled to Rome to try and return to the United States. While there, she helped 12,000 American tourists return home, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. She returned to the United States on the RMS Carpathia (the ship that rescued the survivors of the Titanic) and resumed teaching.

Hillcrest Veterans Square is a public park located in Fresh Meadows, Queens, New York City. Although it’s designated as a “Square,” it is a triangle-shaped public park that contains a monument erected by Hillcrest Post No. 1078 of the American Legion. In 2005, the park’s original monument to the veterans was replaced by a new design with more detail yet included a plaque from the original monument along with excerpts from the poem “We Shall Keep the Faith” by Moina Michael. Its mention of the poppies growing in Flanders Fields inspired the use of this flower as a symbol of remembrance for those who fought in the First World War. In addition to the monument, Hillcrest Veterans Square contains a flagpole and a red maple tree. 

Hillcrest Veterans Memorial

<h1>History </h1>John Purroy Mitchel grew up Irish Catholic in the Fordham area of the Bronx. After graduating from New York Law School, Mitchel was a key player in destablishing the Tamany Hall corruption of politics through his investigations of the Manhattan and Bronx Borough Presidents John F. Ahern and Louis Haffen. Due to his investigation, both leaders were removed from office. In 1914 Mitchel was elected mayor, and remains the youngest mayor to have served in New York City. He was in office until 1917, and following the loss of his re-election, Mitchel joined the military, serving in the Army aviation corps in 1918. He died in July of 1918 when he fell from a plane during training. <h1>Design</h1>The dimensions of the memorial are a height of 12'6" and a width of 12'. The monument, dedicated in 1928, was constructed using granite, bronze, and slate as materials. The architects for the project included Don Barber and Thomas Hastings for the design of the granite steele surrounding the bust. Adolph Alexander was commissioned to design the bust, which features bronze as a way to highlight Mitchel. The memorial was put up and the architects were chosen by The Mitchel Memorial Committee.<h1>Inscription </h1>The inscription reads surrounding the bust of Mitchel at the memorial reads: "IN MEMORY OF / JOHN PURROY MITCHEL / MAYOR OF THE / CITY OF NEWYORK / 1914-1918 / BORN JULY 19, 1879 / DIED IN THE / SERVICE OFTHE / UNITED STATES / JULY 6, 1918."

The John Purroy Mitchel Plaque located 90th Street and 5th Avenue entrance to Central Park honors the city's youngest mayor who served in office from 1914-1917. At the easter side of Central Park's reservoir the memorial contains a bust of Mitchel, alongside a steele and ornamental wall.  After failing to be reelected, Mitchel enlisted in the Army aviation corps during World War I.  Known and admired for his honesty and strong reform within the city of New York, the memorial recognizes his service to both his city and his country. 

John Purroy Mitchel Plaque

Ketchum Triangle was named in honor of Archibald “Archie” Ketchum, a Brooklyn native, New York City Alderman, and veteran of the First World War. Ketchum was born in 1893. In May 1917, Ketchum enlisted in the National Guard and was assigned to the 104th Field Artillery Regiment, an element of the 27th Infantry Division of the United States Army. Ketchum was honorably discharged in April 1919, having achieved the rank of Corporal.After the war, Ketchum was elected Alderman of the 51st District of New York City. However, he attended only one meeting of the Board of Aldermen; Ketchum contracted Spanish influenza and died in April 1920. Ketchum is interred at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.Ketchum’s regiment distinguished itself in combat in World War One. The 27th Division served at the Somme, Ypres-Lys, and participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the principle action of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in World War One. John Morrow, writing in The First World War: An Imperial History, finds that “despite its youth and uneven experience, the AEF still attained its objectives fighting through difficult terrain” during the 47-day campaign. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive drove the Fifth Army of the German Empire east of the Argonne Forest in France and facilitated the French recapture of the fortress city of Sedan. During the campaign, Ketchum's 104th Artillery Regiment relied on the French 75 mm field gun to support Allied infantry and armor. The Triangle was conceived during the planning for the expansion of King’s Highway in 1915. In 1923, after King's Highway had been widened to accommodate increasing traffic, the City of New York acquired the property. In April 1928, the City’s Board of Alderman dedicated the space to Ketchum. Today, Ketchum Triangle is a Greenstreets site owned by the New York City Department of Transportation.

Ketchum Triangle is a trapezoid-shaped park in Brooklyn honoring Archibald Ketchum, a New York City Alderman and veteran of the First World War. Ketchum Triangle was established in 1928 and renovated in 2000. The park features crabapple and linden trees and a plaque commemorating Ketchum. 

Ketchum Triangle

Located in Washington Heights, this park commemorates Private William McKenna, who served for the US during the First World War as part of an anti-aircraft battalion and who died from wounds received during the Battle of the Argonne Forest in 1918 near Reciecourt, France. Before the war, he lived near here on West 173rd St. The site was officially named for him by the New York City Board of Aldermen on July 8, 1924, 6 years after McKenna's death.

McKenna Square

Ten percent of America's fighting force in New York and the state also had the largest number of casualties. New York was also the nation's busiest port city during the war. Perhaps for this reason, war memorials make up for more than a fourth of all memorials in NYC parks. World War I memorials are especially ubiquitous and can be found in even the smallest of parks and at street intersections. Memorial Gore was dedicated to the soldiers of the neighborhood who served in the war. According to the inscription on the base of the memorial, it "records the patriotism and devotion of the men of the 13th Assembly District."  The triangular shape of the statue reflects the shape of the park and the base also includes individual names of soldiers. A large number of residents in Williamsburg were immigrants from Europe including recent arrivals from Lithuania, Poland and Russia, as well as a large and growing Italian community to the north. Williamsburg's population doubled in the first two decades of the 20th century and the increase in immigration was so fast that by 1917 when the US joined the war, Williamsburg had become the most densely populated area in New York City.

This monument was dedicated in 1920 and was dedicated in honor of men from the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn who died in World War I. The statue depicts an eagle perched on top of a globe above a three-sided stone pillar, two sides of which list the names of the fallen soldiers.

Memorial Gore World War I Monument, Brooklyn  

Mitchel Square honors the memory of John Purroy Mitchel, the second youngest mayor of New York ever and U.S Army Air Service officer.Mitchel was born to an Irish Catholic family in Fordham, Bronx, New York City. His grandfather and namesake John Mitchel was a writer and leader in the Irish independence movement. The young Mitchel's career took off in 1906 when he was hired to investigate Manhattan Borough President John F. Ahern and Bronx Borough President Louis Haffen. Both of them were dismissed as a result of the investigations. His reputation as a reformer gathered support for him from anti-Tammany forces. In 1909, he was elected President of the Board of Alderman (an organization similar to the City Council today). Four years later, he was elected mayor, making him the second youngest mayor of New York ever.After failing the get re-elected, he heeded the call for volunteers to serve in the First World War, joined the Army Air Service, completed training and earned the rank of major. On July 6, 1918, Mitchel fell 500 feet from his plane returning from a training flight to Gerstner Field, near Lake Charles, Louisiana, reportedly due to an unfastened seat belt. Numerous memorials were made for him. The former Mitchel Air Force Base located in Long Island, now the cite of Nassau Community College and the Cradle of Aviation Museum, is named after him. On February 8th, 1919, the Board of Alderman named this park for Mitchel. There is also a plaque of his likeness on the entrance to Central Park through 90th Street.

Mitchel Square is a small urban park in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. It is enclosed by Broadway to the west and St Nicholas Avenue to the east. The park is named after John Purroy Mitchel, who became the second youngest mayor of New York in 1914, and later died in a training mission as a pilot in the Army Aviation Corps. The park features a memorial plaque in honor of Mitchel and a statue honoring the men from the neighborhood who gave their lives in World War I.

Mitchel Square

The sculpture is affectionately referred to as the Winged Victory, after the sculpture that inspired it, the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Traditionally, the palm branch is a symbol of victory and triumph. The sword typically refers to protection, righteousness, and justice. The bald eagle in American art is a very familiar image, especially when it refers to American patriotism. But it can also be a symbol of power, might, and exquisiteness. Both of these definitions are apparent in the sculpture. She is standing on top of a globe, which must represent the totality of the Great War itself. The original sculpture was designed to stand in the middle of a traffic triangle, but now it stands directly in the center of Pleasant Plains Avenue. The figure is made of bronze, and the pedestal base is made of Black granite. The inscription honors the sacrifice of the men who died. The statue was originally dedicated in 1923, and was made after local residents raised money for the sculpture in honor of the soldiers from the Fifth Ward of Staten Island, and specifically honoring the thirteen who lost their lives in combat in the first World War. It was put placed on a traffic triangle, but that proved to be a precarious spot. Between the years of 1968 and 1970, the sculpture was damaged by two car accidents, and it was removed to storage, and it allegedly mysteriously disappeared there.1 The sculpture as it stands today was a recreation from historic photographs, fabricated by the Modern Art Foundry of Queens, funded by the city of New York, and rededicated in 1997.2 The image is a powerful reminder of the men who gave their lives for the war effort, and is a striking image to behold. It is a picture of resilience and hope in the face of terror and confusion, with the face of the woman looking off to a better future. The neighborhood of Pleasant Plains uses that street for many town traditions such as decorating their large pine tree for Christmas, and Halloween festivities, and this piece stands as a proud part of both Pleasant Plains, and Staten Island, and for New York as a whole, for the sacrifice of the young men of the Fifth Ward. 1NYC Parks. “Pleasant Plains Plaza Monument.” <a href="http://nycgovparks.com" target="_blank">nycgovparks.com</a>. <a href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/pleasant-plains-plaza/monuments" target="_blank">https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/pleasant-plains-plaza/monuments</a> 2Ibid.

The Pleasant Plains Plaza Monument is a statue that honors the fifth ward residents who fought in World War 1, as well as the thirteen men who lost their lives. The first statue was dedicated in 1923. It consists of a woman holding up a palm frond and a sword, and standing on top of a globe. At her feet is a bald eagle with it's wings outstretched. 

Pleasant Plains Plaza Monument

Private Sonsire (1889-1918) served in the United states Army during World War One on the Western Front. He was born in Rome, Italy on January 7th 1889 and emigrated to America with his mother Sadie. They settled down in the Williamsburg Section of Brooklyn at 233 North 5th Street. On May 28th, 1918 Frank Sonsire enlisted in the United States Army and began overseas service on July 9th 1918. He was apart of Company D, 316th infantry division and fought in the Lorraine region of France in the defensive operations of Avocourt and Proyon. His final operation was in the Battle of the Argonne in 1918. He died at this battle at Bois de Consemoye on November 9th, 1918. His death came three days after Germany requested a formal truce and two days before the Armistice that announced the conclusion of the war. The final letter received by his sister, Nancy, was written shortly before his death. It read, ""These are not tears, the paper is blurred with rain," he wrote. "We get plenty of rain in France and this letter got wet from the drops. So, don't think I am crying. Soldiers must not cry." The triangle became named in honor of him after a law ordinance transferred ownership of the Park to  the local area in 1938.At the outbreak of the war, German-American citizens found themselves in a precarious position. Williamsburg was an area with a high concentration of German immigrants and was generally known as, "Little Germany." With the onslaught of the war, many German monuments and landmarks had their names removed. For example, Hamburg Avenue in Williamsburg had its name changed to Wilson Avenue. Along with this, many German news publications were abandoned by readers because of their marked support for Germany during peace time. From 1914 to 1919 the amount of German newspapers fell by about half and readership fell by two thirds. Many people with a German background attempted to downplay their German identity by displaying their patriotism for the United states. But, measures like this were not enough for some German American Citizens.  Because of the war and pressure from neighbors in the area to move because of the mistrust many Americans had against people of German decent, many German immigrants became upwardly mobile and began to move from predominantly German neighborhoods like Williamsburg to middle-class neighborhoods like Yorkville and Ridgewood. For the Germans immigrants who could not move to these middle-class neighborhoods, finding work became difficult since many American employers were suspect of people with German backgrounds.

Private Sonsire Triangle is located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York at the cross-section of Union Avenue, Roebling Street, and North 11th Street. The Triangle contains a sign to commemorate the service and death of Private Frank Sonsire who fought for the United States Army during World War One.  The Triangle was dedicated on June 6th 1938.  






















Private Sonsire Triangle 

At this point in history, the United States Army drafted Black and white to segregated units.1 The 369th Infantry of the National Guard was an all-Black combat unit under the command of white officers that grew out of the 15th New York National Guard Regiment. The men themselves, however, referred to the unit as the Harlem Rattlers as they believed the rattlesnake to represent power.2 The regiment was one of the first American units sent to France in response to their pleas for troops, and they initially were only used as laborers to construct a supply base.3 However, the 369th was eventually assigned to 16th division of the French army to be trained and would see 191 days in combat, which is longer than any other American unit in World War I. Their efforts contributed to pushing back a German offensive and retaliate with a counteroffensive, and without this American addition to the Allied troops, Germany offensive could have been successful and they may have won the war.1The 369th Infantry was renowned for their bravery and resilience when fighting with the French at the Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. They were known to refuse surrendering and fight regardless of the availability of supplies and circumstances. They were even the first of the Allies to reach the Rhine.1 This attitude and these achievements would earn the unit the Croix de Guerre which is considered to be France’s highest honor.3However, African American soldiers faced discrimination that did not ease with their gallant war efforts. They were not allowed to participate in New York National Guard farewell parade called the Rainbow Division on the account that “Black is not a color in the Rainbow.”1 American authorities even requested that the French preserve segregation and cited faulty studies about Black inferiority. Participation in the war did not have much effect regarding equality for African Americans. Despite the persistence of racist attitudes towards the soldiers, the commander of the 369th, Colonel William Hayward, ensured that his men received a victory parade upon returning to the United States in February 1919.1 Given the additional struggles and lack of recognition Black soldiers faced, memorials such as the Proctor-Hopson Circle are especially important to remember what must not forgotten.

The Proctor-Hopson Circle is a traffic island in South Jamaica, Queens that was named in honor of John Proctor and Arthur Hopson. Proctor and Hopson were members of the 369th Infantry of the National Guard, also known as the Harlem Rattlers. Proctor and Hopson were residents of Jamaica and were the first men in the regiment from Queens to die in World War I. The local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars named their facility in memory of the veterans to become the Proctor-Hopson Post 1896. The Proctor-Hopson VFW Post held a dedication ceremony with a parade of 1,500 attendees on October 23, 1932 to rename the traffic island in honor of Proctor and Hopson. 

Proctor-Hopson Circle 

The Prospect Park War memorial is in the southeast corner of prospect park. It is a relatively small monument compared to its counterparts like the Grand Army Plaza dedicated to the defenders of the Union during the American Civil War. It is made of one statue and several plaques, the statue and plaques are made of bronze, and the benches, altar, and arced wall are made of granite. The statue shows the Angel of Death hovering over a soldier carrying a broken rifle. “Turning towards Death as if in a Trance” [3]. It shows the names of 2,800 Americans fallen in the name of protecting the Union, this time from a foreign enemy [1].The monument was sculpted by the venerable Augustus Lukeman and designed by architect Arthur Pickering. August Lukeman has born January 1872 in Richmond Virginia and was a studio assistant of acclaimed Launt Thompson. He received formal training at the National academy for design and then studied at Columbia University. He then traveled to Paris to work under Jean-Alexandre-Joseph Falguiere. He then returned to America and became an assistant to Daniel C. French. His first work of art from his first studio was the Hebrew Psalmist, a façade also in Brooklyn New York. Lukeman was known for building many monuments throughout the city. But, in 1921, he finished the Prospect Park Memorial, which was the Monument dedicated to 2,800 Americans fallen in the First World War [2]. This monument was dedicated to men of the 14th Brooklyn, the famed “Red Legged Devils”, who fought under the 106th infantry regiment during the war; who in fact, held garrison in prospect park before being reassigned to its parent unit in order to help enlist new men [3]. The 106th infantry regiment fought in France under Colonel Franklin W. War and its sister regiment was the 105th. They moved into the line on 25 June, 1918, relieving the exhausted British 6th Division stationed there. It participated in the Ypres-Lys offensive and the Second Somme Offensive, which finally cracked the Hindenburg Line. The regiment suffered 1,955 casualties, with 1,496 wounded and 376 killed in action [4].

Located in the southeast corner of prospect park, Prospect Park War Memorial is an 18-foot wall with six plaques spanning the memorial's width of 35 feet. The monument seeks to honor the residents of Brooklyn who fought and died in Europe during the First World War. Sculptor Augustus Lukeman placed the Angel of Death embracing a disarmed soldier within the larger monument which was designed by architect Arthur Pickering. William H. Todd donated the funds to make the monument possible. 

Prospect Park War Memorial

Located in Forest Park, which itself is a living memorial to members of the Richmond Hill community who died in the first world war, the Richmond Hill War Memorial was designed by William Van Allen, architect of Manhattan's famous Chrysler building. This particular monument was commissioned not by the city or local government but by members of the community directly, specifically the Richmond Hill War Memorial Committee and the Gold Star Mothers Association of Richmond Hill. The dedication ceremony in 1925 was presided over by Queens Parks Commissioner Albert C. Benninger, the President of the Richmond Hill Mothers Association, Mrs. Mathilda Burling and United States Senator Royal S. Copeland. The monument was dedicated on November 10, 1925.The statue, central to the monument, was created by the Italian-born sculptor Joseph Pollia. Pollia was responsible for almost two dozen public monuments. It is said that the statue, My Buddy, bears a striking resemblance to a silent film star of the time, Francis X. Bushman, who some theories was used as a model. A second cast of the statue sits in Storm Lake, Iowa's Chautauqua Park.Adjacent to the sculpture is an ornamental flagstaff, a local honor roll, a a commemorative plaza named for Medal of Honor winner Sergeant Joseph E. Schaefer, a resident of the neighborhood specifically recognized for his distinguished service in the second World War.

One of nine so-called "doughboy" statues found throughout New York City parks. This particular one depicts a solemn and contemplative rifle and helmet-bearing soldier with downcast eyes, known sometimes by the affectionate moniker "My Buddy." The monument in total contains a doughboy statue, a commemorative flagstaff and a small oval plaza dedicated to one of Richmond Hill's own distinguished soldiers.

Richmond Hill War Memorial

The memorial was made by James Novelli, an Italian-American sculptor who is also known for creating other war memorials.  The entire statue and plaques were originally mounted on rectangular granite stones, however in 1970 the original plaque honour rolls were stolen, and the statue itself stolen in 2000. In 2013 the City funded a project to recreate the stolen pieces, and were put up on a concrete foundation and unveiled in 2014. The project cost $350,000.

This statue was commissioned in 1920 by the Citizen's Memorial Committee to honour those from the neighbourhood who died in combat during World War I. The statue honours 105 men who died overseas, and one woman who died at a local recruitment station (Lillian Patterson). The statue depicts a woman holding a shield in one hand and a palm frond in the other to represent war and peace. The statue is lined on either side by plaques containing an honour roll casualties. The entire statue is mounted on a rectangular concrete base.

Saratoga Park War Memorial

The background of Sgt. Joyce Kilmer. Born in New Jersey in 1886, Albert Joyce Kilmer spent his 31 years as a devoted family man, writer, and fearless solider. After college, Kilmer started out as an editor of a dictionary and then became a freelance writer. Four years before entered the war, Kilmer wrote his most famous poem "Trees1."It became a massive hit and was beloved by many, especially children.2 In "Trees" Kilmer shows both his love for nature and reverence to god. The first two lines of poem are:I think that I shall never see/A poem lovely as a tree.  The poem ends with:Poems are made by fools like me/But only God can make a tree.3Kilmer's faith in God became extremely important to him after his young daughter became sick with polio in 1912. He especially found comfort in Catholicism’s preachings and soon converted to the religion.4 In 1917, he joined the 165th Infantry also known as the "Fighting Irish" after being convinced by its chaplain, Father Francis Duffy. Duffy was one of the many Irish immigrants in the unit, most of them either first or second generation.5 These Irish men entered the war due to their love for America, even though it meant fighting alongside the British who they vehemently opposed. Having a wife and children dependent on him,6 Kilmer could have been exempted from the first rounds of drafts mandated by the Selective Service Act of 1917.7 However, Kilmer offered to go because he viewed fighting in the war as strongly patriotic. During the war, Kilmer didn't hesitate to put himself in harm’s way to help his fellow soldiers. Originally starting out in a position that kept him away from the fight, he moved onto a position in the Regimental Intelligence staff that was tasked with gathering information in "No Man's Land," a narrow space between opposing side's trenches.8 On July 30th, 2018, during a battle on the Ourcq river line, Kilmer was killed dead by a sniper's bullet. On the day he was killed, he was serving as an adjunct to the Major of the First Battalion, replacing the Major's adjunct, who had been killed just the day before.9 One of the people who discovered Kilmer's body was Father Duffy.10  The dedication of the squareThe City of New York acquired the land rights to the square in 1920, however it wasn’t until 1935 that it was dedicated to Kilmer.11 It is interesting that the city waited so long to name the dedication, close to two decades after Kilmer’s death and the end of World War I.It is possible, that the city wanted to refresh peoples’ memories about Americans who died in the war because tensions in the world were again heating up. In Germany, the Reichstag passed the Nuremberg Laws, which introduced anti-Semitism into German legislation. Italian troops invaded Ethiopia. Concurrently, the United States passed the Neutrality Act, which put a general embargo on trading arms and war materials with nations at war.12 In reminding New Yorkers of the cost of war, perhaps the city seizing on a national trend towards trying to avoid staying out of yet another deadly war in Europe.

The triangle commemorates Joyce Kilmer, one of the most famous Americans to die in combat during World War I. Before going off to war, Joyce Kilmer wrote the well-known poem “Trees,” which expresses his love for nature, and was widely read. The benches under the trees in the triangle are similar to the atmosphere that Kilmer sat in when writing many of his poems. In addition to his writing, Kilmer is remembered for his extreme bravery and unwavering commitment to the war. 

Sgt. Joyce Kilmer Triangle

Erected in 2006 on 5th Avenue and 142nd street, the 369th Infantry Regiment Memorial obelisk honors the all-Black Harlem Hellfighter’s regiment that served the United States’ allies in WW1. In addition to fighting the Germans and other Central Powers, the Harlem Hellfighters struggled to overcome racism and discrimination that would follow them from the United States into France. However, when finally given the opportunity to prove their courage and valor in the trenches of war-torn France, they brought honor to both the United States and the Black race.  In the United States, racial segregation within the social sphere was ubiquitous, and it was no different within the military. Black and white troops served in separate regiments that would not be desegregated until the end of World War II. And, when Black troops such as those in the 369th Infantry Regiment were sent to France, strict orders were given to French leadership to instruct their officers to treat the Black soldiers as inferior to whites. <blockquote>"It is necessary to avoid all excessive intimacy between French officers and Black officers, with whom one can be correct and kind, but whom one cannot treat on equal footing with white American officers without wounding the latter profoundly"(Linard 16-17). </blockquote>Thus, the Black soldiers of the 369th would have to overcome the pressures of not just war, but discrimination as well.  The 369th referred to themselves as the “men of bronze,” but later became renown as the “Harlem Hellfighters,” a name given to them by their German foes because of their ferocity in battle (Jackson). Being the first American unit to be awarded France’s highest military honor, the Croix de Guerre, the Harlem Hellfighters served more than six months and suffered approximately 1500 casualties in the trenches at the battles of Belleau Wood and Chateau-Tniery. Furthermore, historians claim that the Hellfighters were the first unit to cross the Rhine into Germany, proving their courage in the face of danger (Mikkelsen). Written on the obelisk, “In memory 1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive,” which began on September 26 of 1918. With a strong display of strength, the 369th captured the town of Ripont in only the first day of battle and continued to advance forward at least one kilometer a day. Despite facing strong resistance by the Central Powers, the 369th pushed forward and by September 30th held an important position near Sechault and capital critical railroad junctures. In recognition of their valor in the offensive, 171 of the colored officers received medals of honor, and the 369th received the Croix de Guerre. (American Battle Monuments Commission).At the end of the war, the 369th regiment returned to New York City as heroes and on February 17, 1919 paraded up 5th avenue. Revered with pride, the 369th was greeted with thousands of inspired African Americans in New York City, viewing the day as an unofficial holiday. (Gates) The Harlem Hellfighters were not just honored by African Americans, but by the French as well. Indeed, the Obelisk on 5th Avenue is not an original memorial, but a replica of an original memorial erected in Sechault, France in 1997 (Sammons 255). And, despite winning the respect of France and others, racist and segregationist America would find it difficult to honor the 369th Regiment immediately after the war, as made clear by the fact that the obelisk replica was erected so many years after the war in 2006. "Most of them fought and lived or died in obscurity; for the fallen their only memorial is a marble cross in one of the American cemeteries in France," says Sammons (Sammons 447). Moreover, in order to secure the monuments for the 369th Regiment, the NAACP and other pro-African American organizations had to fight for the recognition that the 369th deserved and thus helped push for the funding of the 369th Armory and the erection of the 369th memorial obelisk on 5th Ave in NYC (Sammons 4-5). <blockquote> </blockquote>

Erected in 2006 on 5th Avenue and 142nd street, the 369th Infantry Regiment Memorial obelisk honors the all-Black Harlem Hellfighter’s regiment that served the United States’ allies in World War One. Being the first American unit to earn the Croix de Guerre -- the highest ranking award in the French military -- the 369th fought bravely and brought pride and honor to not just the United States, but African Americans as a whole. 

The 369th Infantry Regiment Memorial (Harlem Hellfighters Obelisk Memorial)

The Washington Heights - Inwood War Memorial was commissioned by the Washington Heights and Inwood Memorial Association to commemorate the 357 casualties of World War I who lived in the neighborhood.1 Featured prominently within Mitchel Square Park, the park is named after John Purroy Mitchel who died during a training accident of the United States Army Air Service. The monument consists of a granite pedestal, designed by architectural firm Delano and Aldrich, and a bronze sculpture of three combat soldiers designed by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. The memorial sculpture was first approved by New York City on November 14, 1921 for dedication on the following memorial day on May 30, 1922. The memorial was a gift to the city of New York, funding was provided by the Washington Heights and Inwood Memorial Association as referenced in the application for installation submitted in 1921.3 At the base of the memorial, the dedication inscription reads "ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON HEIGHTS AND INWOOD IN COMMEMORATION OF THE MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE WORLD WAR." Directly surrounding the bronze figures are 20 plaques, of which all names of the missing and killed soldiers of World War One who lived in the New York City communities of Washington Heights and Inwood. The monument has been on permanent display since its dedication in 1922 with the exception of a restoration in 1998 that replaced a missing bayonet.4

The Washington Heights - Inwood War Memorial is located in Mitchel Square Park, on the intersection of Broadway and St. Nicholas Avenue between 167th and 168th Street. The bronze monument is composed of three soldiers, two of which are helping the third during battle. The Memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922 to honor the men that perished in World War I and lived in the Northern Manhattan communities of Washington Heights and Inwood. The Memorial includes the names of all the fallen soldiers from the community on plaques surrounding the three oversized figures.

Washington Heights - Inwood War Memorial

William McCray Playground is a memorial playground where memorates William McCray (1898-1918), who fought in World War I. He was born and raised in New York City and enlisted in the 15th Regiment, New York Guard. The 15th New York National Guard is now formerly known as the “Harlem Hellfighters,” The Harlem Hell Fighters were the regiment consisted of only African Americans, led by mainly of white officers. They were redesignated as the 369th Regiment when they arrived in France in 1917. The Harlem Hellfighters joined the 16th and 161st Divisions of French Army after they arrived in France, and fought bravely in several battles including Champagne-Marne Defensive, and Meuse-Argonne Offensive. William McCray fought hard in these combats and attained the rank of corporal, but got killed in a local infantry attack in the Champagne Sector in 1918.When the United States decided to participate in World War I, some of African Americans refused to fight in the war. Many African Americans, however, saw joining the war as a chance to gain recognition; they urged themselves to fight for democracy and 2.3 million African Americans registered for the draft. The Harlem Hellfighters, however, spent 191 days in trenches, which is the longest duration amongst any other American unit. Some of African American soldiers even served in cumbersome and dangerous construction missions and dedicated themselves for the victory of the Allied Powers. Although they served in numerous wars and battles, and were treated equally by the French army, the Harlem Hellfighters were not well-received back in the United States. At that time, racism was still prevalent among Americans, which made the African American soldiers not respected. Besides Harlem, the African American soldiers were not celebrated.The construction of William McCray Playground, however, symbolizes the change in the attitude towards the brave Harlem Hellfighters who courageously fought in many combats. It was built during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, who sought development in poor urban areas such as Harlem. The activation of New Deal Policy in Harlem and establishment of memorial parks were welcomed by African Americans; notably, the installing of William McCray Playground marks that African Americans had finally received recognition from the public.Not only the construction of memorial parks and playgrounds to celebrate brave African American soldiers, but even President Obama honored one of the ignored African American soldiers who fought in the World War. Now, William McCray Playground serves as a place to rest and play basketball for people in Harlem, and a site that represents the historical and cultural significance of African Americans’ sacrifice in the war.

William McCray Playground is a war memorial playground located at the borders between East and West Harlem, 45 W 138 St. With the support of the Police Department and the War Memorial Fund, the city built this playground and opened it on July 15, 1934. The establishment of the playground was a part of New Deal Projects (1934-43), which included expanding the number of playgrounds in the city. The war memorial playgrounds, including William McCray Playground, were dedicated in an official ceremony after the expansion. After its first opening, the playground continued to expand in 1989 and 1992 and doubled its size of the original space. In 1994, the city installed more play equipment, benches, and game tables, which each of them is marked with a commemorative tablet to honor the soldiers who sacrificed themselves in the war. 

William McCray Playground

The sculpture is of a woman in a medieval type of dress, a shield in her left hand and a sword in her right. It stands at seven feet tall in a victorious pose staring into the distance. The Winfield Honor Roll Association says that she is a “symbol of protection, good government and honor.” A pole in the shape of a cross stands behind the sculpture with an American flag hanging at the top. The woman stands on a pedestal made of granite engraved with the names of the seven men from Winfield who served in World War I. The names are Edward J. Lange, Henry C. Lochman, Otto Marek, James V. Pergola, Frederick Jackson, Randolph Jardine, and Austin Greer. The shield she is holding has the following inscribed on it: "DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE AND TO ALL OTHERS FROM WINFIELD WHO ENTERED THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WAR NEW YORK CITY AD MCMXXVI" The town was originally named Winfield, after war general Winfield Scott, who participated in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, and the Mexican War. He served in the army for 53 years and was regarded as the longest active-duty general in United States history.The statue initially resided in what was called Winfield Plaza when it was first built but was eventually moved in 1939 due to the construction of a highway. The memorial has suffered a ton of physical damage over the years. It’s had to go through the effects of weathering and was repeatedly being covered in graffiti. Being next to a highway ramp, it has been hit by cars on three different occasions, two of the times it was knocked off its perch and the third time, in 2001, the monument's head was severed from its body. It was restored after each incident. After the car accident in 2001, the monument was held in a Parks Department vault and was pieced back together and placed back in its original spot in 2011.

The Winfield War Memorial, also called Victorious America, is a sculpture that was built and placed initially between Queens Boulevard and Fisk Avenue in 1926 but is now on the corner of 65th Place and Laurel Hill Boulevard. Its purpose is to commemorate seven men who came from the town of Winfield and served in World War I. The monument was sculpted by James Novelli and was sponsored by the Winfield Honor Roll Association.

Winfield War Memorial

York Avenue is located in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, New York. Starting at 59th Street and extending up to 92nd Street, York Avenue is named after the American World War I veteran Alvin C. York. Dedicated in 1928, sections of Avenue A and Sutton Place were renamed York Avenue (Pollak). Born in Eastern Tennessee, Alvin Cullum York is best known for known for his heroics in October of 1918. Alvin York was a part Eighty-Second Division and fought in the last major Allied battle of the war, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in Northern France. On October 8th, 1918, York is stated to have personally shot six machine gunners and killed six German lieutenants using his .45 Colt automatic pistol (Birdwell). Along with seven other soldiers, York marched one hundred thirty-two German prisoners of war back to the American Second Battalion command post. (Birdwell). For his heroics, Alvin York was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross, along with being promoted to Sargent.Sargent Alvin York maintained a great deal of popularity after World War I. This would not be the case if it were not for the Saturday Evening Post article by George Patullo that outlined and spread the news of York and the Eighty-Second Division’s heroics (Birdwell). York became the most well known and popular American Veteran of the First World War. He spoke at Carnegie Hall, and even had a film based on his life Sergeant York (1941) (Birdwell). Sergeant York won two Oscars and was the highest grossing film of 1941 (IMDb). In addition to his notoriety, Alvin York dedicated much of his post World War I life to public education though his Alvin C. York Foundation (Birdwell).

York Avenue is located in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, New York. The street is named after one of the most famous American World War I veterans, Alvin Cullum York. York is known for his bravery in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of 1918. After his service, York maintained a high level of notoriety including being the subject of the film with box-office success _Sergeant York_ (1941). 

York Avenue

In 1931, NYC parks acquired the land for the Zimmerman Playground with money provided by the War Memorial Fund, established in 1921 with money gathered by the New York City Police Department.1 The Fund initially opened with $250,000, but by 1931, that amount had amassed to $350,000 due to investment by the City Chamberlain. In early 1934, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses pursed a court decree that released the endowment for public use. The money was then designated to be used for playground development in each of the five Boroughs—two in Manhattan, two in Staten Island, two in the Bronx, and one in Brooklyn—and construction began in March 1934. The playgrounds were concurrently dedicated and opened by Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia at Brooklyn's William E. Sheridan Playground on July 15, 1934 over a broadcast on the city's new public address system. In a press release, the Department of Parks deemed these War Memorial Playgrounds to be "the only modern playgrounds in the city."2 The facilities were to include a field house with playrooms, a public wading pool, a flag pole, and a bronze plaque on which the name of a single soldier would be inscribed.Each of the nine the playgrounds opened were dedicated to a fallen citizen of the Borough in which the playground was located who had served in the US Military during WWI and who was generally well-regarded within his community. The individuals for which the playgrounds were named were selected by "World War Veterans Organizations and the various Divisional Associations."2 Special consideration was taken for members of "the three distinctive New York City divisions, namely; the 42nd or Rainbow Division, the 27th New York National Guard and the 77th-National Army Division."2Zimmerman Playground's namesake, Corporal Louis Zimmerman, was a member of the "distinctive" 77th Division of the Headquarters Company 305th Infantry. Born on Manhattan's Upper East Side on April 20, 1895, Corporal Louis Zimmerman was one of eight children. The family later relocated to the Bronx, where Zimmerman attended P.S. 27 and graduated from Morris High School. In his few early adult years before the war, Zimmerman lived in the southern part of The Bronx at 1352 Webster Avenue and served as a police officer. (cite) After enlisting in the Army, Zimmerman served on the Western Front in the infantry, where he is believed to have fought in numerous battles. He was killed in action at age 23 in the Allies' final European push, the Argonne-Meuse Offensive, on November 5, 1918—less than one week before the Armistice that ended the Great War.The aging Zimmerman Playground was renovated in 1996-7 under Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The park's antiquated features, such as the long-forgotten wading pool, were replaced and the facility was expanded to include basketball courts, water sprinklers, decorative pavement, and new playground equipment. Additionally, the renovations provided new fencing, a drinking fountain, a refurbished handball court, outdoor seating, and handicap ramps and railing. Foliage within the facility was replanted to provide shade and accentuate the redistributed play areas. The Playground is located in the modern Allerton neighborhood. It is only one block west from the Allerton Avenue Subway station, which serves the 2 and 5 trains, and two blocks east of the Bronx Park.

Located in the Bronx on the southern side of Britton Street between Barker and Olinville Avenues, the Zimmerman Playground stands as a memorial to Corporal Louis Zimmerman. Paid for by the War Memorial Fund, the park was one of nine War Memorial Playgrounds erected by NYC Parks and Mayor LaGuardia on July 15, 1934 intended to honor New York City natives killed in action during the Great War. In 1996 and 1997, the park was redesigned with handicap accommodations and refurbished equipment. Today, the playground remains a vibrant memorial and provides those in the Allerton community with the intended open space and family play areas.

Memorialization of World War I in New York City

Zion Triangle War Memorial

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information