Doughboy Statue, Martinsburg WV
Introduction
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Images
With his arms stretched forward and the gun at his side, the statue depicts the American infantryman as a heroic figure.
The left side of the statue includes one side of the local roll of honor.
Dedication of Doughboy in Martinsburg, WV. Photo courtesy of West Virginia & Regional History.
Backstory and Context
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The dough-boy statue was made with graphic region stone, built to honor the citizens of Berkeley County by the Berkley County Memorial Association. The statue was created by Walters A. Sinz of Cleveland who also created World War I monuments for communities in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
The term "dough-boy" started as an insult leveled on infantrymen by members of the cavalry during the Mexican-American War. Given the transition from cavalry to infantry that occurred in the next twenty years, the term soon took on a different meaning as infantrymen took the leading role and changed the meaning of the term.
Sources
Leatherwood, Jeffrey M. "World War I." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 30 September 2015. Web. 16 January 2017.
Hanlon, Micheal E. "The Origins of "Doughboy"." The Great War Society. Accessed July 22, 2016. HMdb.org. "World War Memorial." Accessed July 22, 2016.