World War II was a recent, poignant memory for the people who
gathered at the corner of the Box Elder County Courthouse grounds on
November 11,1947, for the Armistice Day dedication of a bronze statue
and plaque bearing the names of Box Elder County citizens who lost
their lives in that war as well as World War I.
Their parents and families were among the crowd shivering in a chill
wind during the outdoor ceremonies. To some of those, this
monument was as precious as a grave since their loved ones' remains had
not been returned home.
It was a touching program, opened with playing of the National Anthem
by the Box Elder High School Band. Mrs. Alben Borgstrom, the
mother of four sons who lost their lives in World War II unveiled the
monument. A dedicatory prayer was given, a squad from the local
battery of the National Guard fired a salute to the heroic dead, and
"Taps" was played by Frank Troxel.
The color guard and colors of nine veterans' organization posts in Box
Elder County formed lines on either side of the Statue during the
ceremony. They had marched from the tabernacle, where Armistice
Day services were held as a prelude tot he dedication.
According to the Box Elder News Journal of Nov. 12, 1947, the names of
all county residents, who served in the two wars, were to be inscribed
and located in a vault in the base of the statue.
Who is this G.I. and how did he find his way to Brigham City?
Sculptor Aristide Cianfarani, quoted in a 1946 article in the
Providence RI, Evening Bulletin, said he used no specific model.
"This is the U.S. soldier who went off to war as a civilian and was
smart enough to get by on his own, whatever they asked of him."
"Towering nearly nine feet above the foundry floor, he looked as though
he might have fought his way over a Normandy beachhead, through a South
Pacific jungle or out of the Bastogne Bulge" was the bulletin's
description of "The Victor" just prior to the statue's departure for
Ogden. It's destination was advertised as that city, a mistake some say
was based on where the 1,280-pound statue was to be shipped for
transfer to Brigham City.
"The memorial has been ordered and will be installed as soon as the
remainder of the fund can be raised", as Veterans' organizations held a
joint meeting in March to help complete the fund drive. Public
acceptance had been "swell" according to a later report, with
nearly everyone approached donating .
Sgt. Harvey W. Wardrop of the Army recruiting service related a
touching story: We called at the home of Mrs. Sara Simonsen,
widow, 123 E. 6th S., and she responded with a $5.00 donation and said,
"I haven't forgotten the boys who gave their life for my country.
You see, my boy,Vernon was killed in Okinawa on April 27, 1945.
He's buried there, but I'd like to see a shrine erected here for him,
and all the other boys who made the supreme sacrifice."
All the money hadn't been raised by November. A newspaper article
noted "a small amount yet to be paid and any person desiring to
contribute were invited to send contributions to the committee, in care
of Fred Bradford of Corinne, chairman."
The monument was to be erected on Saturday and remain veiled until the
day of dedication. Everyone was encouraged to attend.
Box Elder County Commission Chairman, Lewis S. Wright said, "We feel
that it is very fitting that the entire population of Box Elder County
attend these memorial service, and all should remember, for the one day
atleast, the sacrifice of our heroic dead to preserve freedom and the
American way of life."
In the days and years that followed, families often paused before the
statue. Sometimes a bouquet or a single flower adorned the marble
base, laid there in momory of a fallen GI...perhaps by someone like
Mrs. Sara Simonsen who had no local grave to decorate.
And today, GI Joe still stands there a bigger than life guy
representing the men and women who served their country in two world
wars
In an article written by Sarah Yates, former Managing Editor of the Box
Elder News Journal in 1995, it stated "The monument has been standing
tall and erect for many years, but is showing signs of 'wear'. A
while back, the County Commission installed a light at the base of the
monument so that the statue could be lighted at night, a great start to
what is needed. A few of "us" veterans visited the monument and
agreed that a complete rennovation is needed, to include a plaque to
honor those veteran who gave their lives in the other wars, Korea,
Vietnam, Etc.
Recently, the County Commission agenda listed the monument for
discussion, so I (Allen Jensen) attended to find out what they had in
mind and offer a few suggestions. The results were, the county
has no money but was willing to let the Veterans' Organizations take on
the renovation. I explained that the Veterans' organizations also
do not have any money. That's where the public comes into play,
if the monument could be erected from public donations; the renovation
could also be accomplished through public donations. The veteran's
organizations e.g. American Legion, Brigham City Post 10, and
Auxiliary, Tremonton Post 76, the Veteran of Foreign Wars and
Auxiliary, and the Disabled American Veterans are willing to take on
the project of renovating "GI Joe".
In pursing the cost of the project, it was recommended that a marble
base and foundation be used in place of the now deteriorating
concrete. This would be more costly but would last much
longer. It's like building a highway, build two lanes now and in
a couple of years come back and add more lanes to it. Hopefully,
this would be the last time "GI Joe" would need renovation.
If the renovation is to succeed, we need everyone's help, unlike in the
past when funds were needed to erect the monument, each community was
assessed for the project. We hope the public will come forth
voluntarily to fund this restoration. If the project is to
succeed, we need everyone's help.
Allen Jensen, Commander
American Legion, Post 10
Brigham City, Utah
Due to the efforts of many Veteran's Organizations such as
The American Legion, The Disabled American Veterans, and The Veterans
of
Foreign Wars, the much needed renovations will be made to GI Joe.
Monies were raised through various ways such as having a booth at the
Box Elder County Fair and
Brigham City Peach Days, donations from many businesses and
corporations, donations from Elementary schools, and general Public
donations. Many volunteer hours and efforts were given by many
Veterans to help raise the funds necessary to renovate the
statue.
Currently (2007), a
new plan for GI Joe is in progress. Some
modifications to the landscaping of the County Courthouse are to
include seating, lighting, flowers, and shrubbery. Rebuilding a firm
foundation for the structure of the statue and re-furbishing the statue
itself will help to preserve the statue for many generations to
come. A re-dedication ceremony will be held on Veterans Day
celebration 2007.
When the face of the monument was removed for renovation, it was
interesting to see how the first original base was created. Large
stones, rebar, wooden spikes, and wire. A time capsule was also
discovered.
|  |  |  | |
| large stones and mortar | rebar to support the base | large twists of wire | |
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| wooden spikes | Time capsule | |
G I Statue during the first stages of renovation.
BOX ELDER COUNTY HISTORY LINKS
