The Spirit of American Doughboys

About Us

This is a set of four life-size statues commemorating World War I soldiers and sailors. They were dedicated November 11, 1927 at the two ends of Memorial Park Bridge over the St. Johns River, and later placed in the same relative positions when the New Memorial Bridge was completed in 1976. A doughboy carrying a 1903 Springfield rifle, an officer with a Colt .45 pistol and grenade, another soldier carrying a grenade and sticks of dynamite and a sailor holding a shell are depicted.

The statues guard the base of the bridge on both sides. They were erected on the site by nationally known artist E.M. Viguesney of Spencer, Indiana. The statues have been given national publicity and nearly one hundred other statues like them have been erected to date. The ''Spirit of the American Doughboy'' is the only statue in the world that has the endorsement of the American Legion as being 100 percent perfect.