Astoria Doughboy rededicated, 100 years later

On Wednesday, over 100 people crowded around the base of Astoria’s Doughboy Monument to rededicate it, 100 years after its first dedication in 1926. The monument honors the brave and fallen of Clatsop County who served in the first World War — and the community effort to raise the memorial. At 11:11, a silence came over the crowd as the distant sound of bells could be heard, just as bells in Paris, London, Berlin and across the United States had announced the end of the First World War on Nov. 11, 1918. The ceremony also included several active-duty members of the armed forces, including soldiers of the Oregon National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard’s Color Guard. The ceremony began with the Coast Guard performing a flyover using one of its MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters. Floyd Holcom, Commander of Foreign Wars Post 10580 and former Green Beret, opened the dedication. He said he grew up only a few feet from the monument and was constantly reminded of the lives that were lost.

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