Remembering the Dedication of the Kearny Soldiers Memorial

On May 27, 1922 the Town of Kearny dedicated a new monument to those residents lost in the battles of World War One. The monument, a tall Vermont granite shaft topped with a sphere and a bronze eagle with outstretched wings, was funded by $11,000.00 raised by Joseph E. Frobisher, Jr. Post 99 of the American Legion and $14,000.00 from the Town of Kearny.

The monument stands in Military Park between Kearny Avenue and Beech Street just north of Quincy Avenue. Projecting from the bottom front of the shaft is a pedestal with an inscribed plaque bearing the names of the honored dead. Atop the pedestal stands a bronze statue of a woman in classical dress, her arms partially extended from her sides. The other three sides of the shafts have granite reliefs of World War I military operations. The back panel depicts two fighters in a dogfight. One side panel shows warships firing on a surfacing submarine. And the other side panel features several doughboys charging out of a trench. 

The dedication of the Memorial was attended by thousands of Kearny residents along with political and military dignitaries. On the day of the dedication, General John “Black Jack” Pershing visited with 400 residents of the Soldiers and Sailors Home, and attended lunch at the Kearny home of Major Gerrish Newell before viewing a parade leading up to Military Park. There, a large American Flag draped the new memorial. The Flag, measuring 19 feet by 9 feet, was lifted to unveil the new obelisk erected in memory of those sons of Kearny lost in The Great War. General Pershing personally dedicated the monument to their memory.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of that dedication, American Legion Post 99 will display the original 48-starred flag by carrying it in the Kearny Memorial Day Parade. It will also be on display at Post 99 during the post-parade open house. For purposes of preservation, the flag will be carried and displayed folded.