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History

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

This monument honors 17 servicemen from the local community who paid the supreme sacrifice while serving their country during World War I. The statue depicts a bronze infantryman, commonly known as a “doughboy,” and was created by Italian-American sculptor Joseph Pollia (1893–1954). The granite pedestal of Deer Isle granite was designed by William Van Alen (1882–1954), best known as the architect of Manhattan’s famed Chrysler Building.

The derivation of the term doughboy remains in question. It was first used by the British in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to describe soldiers and sailors. In the United States the nickname was coined during the Mexican-American War (1846–1848), and was widely popularized during World War I (1914–1918) to refer to infantrymen. After the war, in which Americans saw combat in 1917-18, numerous communities commissioned doughboy statues to honor the local war heroes. The Rockaway Doughboy is one of nine such statues erected in New York City’s parks.

The monument was commissioned through a local public subscription. Sculptor Pollia was responsible for nearly two dozen public monuments. In New York City he also collaborated with Van Alen on the Richmond Hill War Memorial (1925) in Forest Park, Queens, and sculpted the statue of General Sheridan (1936) in Christopher Park in Manhattan. After World War II (1941–1945), a second honor roll honoring 84 citizens of Rockaway who died during combat, was added to this monument.

Photo of Rockaway Doughboy Veterans Memorial Statue

Rockaway Veterans Memorial Details

  • Sculptor: Joseph P. Pollia
  • Architect: William van Alen
  • Description: Standing figure (over life-size) on pedestal with six plaques
  • Materials: Figure and plaques--bronze; pedestal--Deer Isle granite
  • Dimensions: Figure H: 8'4"; Pedestal H: 5'9" W: 3'9" D: 4'6"; World War I plaque H: 2'11" W: 2'; World War II plaque H: 3'4" W: 2'
  • Cast: 1927
  • Dedicated: 1927
  • Donor: Public subscription
  • Inscription: Front side:

    Medallion: American Legion /

    MAINTAINED BY / DANIEL M. O'CONNELL POST 272 / AMERICAN LEGION /

    Plaque - front side:
    IF YE BREAK FAITH / WITH US / WE SHALL NOT SLEEP / HONOR ROLL / 1917 --- WORLD WAR --- 1919 / WALTER BATES / IRVING FRIEDMAN / FRANK GEORGE / CHARLES HARRIS / JEROME O. HEINE / NELSON HEWLETT / CHARLES JACOB / ALBERT MAHER / PETER MOONEY / JOSEPH MCVAY / CHARLES W. MURRAY / DANIEL M. O'CONNELL / LOUIS E. REYNOLDS / ROBER F. RINCK / NICHOLAS SCHETTING / JULIUS STRAUSS / ARTHUR THOMPSON / 1917 --- WORLD WAR --- 1919 /

    Plaque - west side:
    1941 --- 1945 / DEDICATED TO / THOSE WHO MADE / THE SUPREME SACRIFICE / DURING WORLD WAR II / FRANCIS T. ACTON, JR. --- JOHN M. LEWIS, JR. / PHILIP AGLIATA --- HAROLD LORMAN / GODFREY R. AMES --- THOMAS MCARDLE / ARTHUR A. AMRON --- MYLES J. MCPARTLAND / JOSEPH N. ANGELONE --- BERNARD MEEHAN / JOSEPH ARCARIO, JR. --- FRED J. MEEHAN / JAMES M. BARRAVECHIA --- DONALD F. MURDOCK / IRVING BELDNER --- EDWARD MUROFCHICK / SAUL W. BERSON --- JAMES F. O'BRIEN / HAROLD J. BLANTHORN --- FRANCIS X. O'CONNELL / JOHN B. BRADY --- VINCENT W. O'KEEFE / LEONARD BUSCHEL --- OWEN P. O'REILLY / CORNELIUS M. CALPIN --- ALEXANDER G. OLSEN / SAMUEL P. CARCANIS --- GIRTSOL OPPENHEIMER / SAM CASALINO --- ALFRED ORLANDO / MARTIN F. COOGAN --- ISIDORE REIMER / JOHN E. CORRIGAN --- ALDO J. RIVARA / RICHARD H. DAVIS --- HAROLD W. ROBERTS / HENRY J. DEHNERT --- GEORGE P. ROLLY / THOMAS J. DENAPOLI --- STANLEY D. ROSE / PATRICK J. DONAHUE --- MICHAEL F. ROTONDO / JOHN G. DUNN --- OTTO SCHAFFNER / ALAN EVANS --- HERBERT SCHIMEK / VINCENT J. FAY --- JULES D. SCHLICHTER / OSCAR FINKELSTEIN --- SAMUEL J. SCHLOSSER / ARNOLD P. FOX --- DONALD R. SCHNEIDER / EDWARD GLEASON --- JACK P. SCHWARTZ / WILLIAM H. GUTERDING --- LLOYD SEASONWEIN / WALTER F. HAWTHORNE --- LOUIS SEIDMAN / PATRICK F. HESLIN --- MURRAY SEIFF / MELVILLE T. HESS --- DONALD W. SELZ / HERBERT HOPFENBERG --- DAVID DANIEL SHAPIRO / GEORGE P. HUMMEL --- FRANK SORENSEN / CHARLES JAMIESON --- HERBERT SPRINGER / JAMES KEHOE --- JOSEPH L. THIER / AUSTIN E. KELLY --- JOSEPH S. VELARDI / JAMES P. KENNY --- PAUL VERDONE / PHILIP J. KIELEY --- WILBERT A. WANKEL / SAMUEL KITOGRAD --- ALVIN S. WEISS / LEONARD KRAM --- BERNARD H. WIENER / SOL. IRVING LANDAU --- GEORGE A. WILLIAM / JOHN LEWIS --- JOHN P. ZIMMER /

    Plaque - east side:
    1950 --- KOREA --- 1955 / IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY / THOMAS W. AUGUST --- GEORGE MAMMES --- RALPH R. MITOLA / JOSEPH DIPIETRO --- GEORGE V. MCCORMICK --- EDWARD P. O'DONNELL / JAMES F. FARRELL --- EDMUND J. MCGRATH --- DANIEL P. ROGERS / WALTER F. GROSS --- MORTIMER DOMROE --- WILLIAM VOGEL /


    1961 --- VIETNAM --- 1975 / IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS / THEY SHALL LIVE FOREVER / STEDMAN ADAMS --- WILLIAM HAYES --- WILLIAM MORRIS / GERALD BREEN --- CHARLES R. HEMPEL --- DAVID C. NELSON / MCKINLEY CAUGHMAN --- THOMAS HOARE --- COSMO PACETTA / JOSE CRESPO --- ELBERT R. HUBSCHMITT --- JOSEPH A. SILON / WILLIAM H. DORAN --- TERRANCE P. JORDAN --- DANIEL J. SULLIVAN / MICHAEL ELFLEIN --- JAMES F. LUCAS --- PHILIP A. TINGLEY / HAROLD B. ELSERT --- JOHN MCGONIGAL --- WILLIE J. WASHINGTON / FRANK FLORIO --- PETER T. MELAHAN --- WALTER WETZEL / HOWARD M. GERSTEL --- GARY K. MORRIS --- FREDERICK F. WOODWARD / STEVEN V. GOLDSTEIN --- EDWARD J. ZEWERT /

Please note, the NAME field includes a primary designation as well as alternate namings often in common or popular usage. The DEDICATED field refers to the most recent dedication, most often, but not necessarily the original dedication date. If the monument did not have a formal dedication, the year listed reflects the date of installation.

For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8143

Directions to Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk

Know Before You Go

There are currently 7 service interruptions affecting access within this park.

ParkBeach 59th St Playground

All NYC beaches will be open for swimming on Saturday, May 25. Due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and the major rebuilding effort at our beaches, there may be multiple service changes at each beach. Visit our Beach Restoration page for more information on what to expect this summer.

PlaygroundsSandpiper Playground

All NYC beaches will be open for swimming on Saturday, May 25. Due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and the major rebuilding effort at our beaches, there may be multiple service changes at each beach. Visit our Beach Restoration page for more information on what to expect this summer.

PlaygroundsRockaway Playground - M

All NYC beaches will be open for swimming on Saturday, May 25. Due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and the major rebuilding effort at our beaches, there may be multiple service changes at each beach. Visit our Beach Restoration page for more information on what to expect this summer.

PlaygroundsRockaway Playground - N

All NYC beaches will be open for swimming on Saturday, May 25. Due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and the major rebuilding effort at our beaches, there may be multiple service changes at each beach. Visit our Beach Restoration page for more information on what to expect this summer.

PlaygroundsRockaway Beach Playground

All NYC beaches will be open for swimming on Saturday, May 25. Due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and the major rebuilding effort at our beaches, there may be multiple service changes at each beach. Visit our Beach Restoration page for more information on what to expect this summer.

ParkRockaway Beach

All NYC beaches will be open for swimming on Saturday, May 25. Due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and the major rebuilding effort at our beaches, there may be multiple service changes at each beach. Visit our Beach Restoration page for more information on what to expect this summer.

BeachesRockaway Beach and Boardwalk

All NYC beaches will be open for swimming on Saturday, May 25. Due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and the major rebuilding effort at our beaches, there may be multiple service changes at each beach.

Beach entrances are temporarily closed at B. 106th, B. 115th, and B. 117th Streets.

Sections of the beach are closed between, B. 30th and B. 58th Streets, B. 86th and B. 88th Streets, B. 92nd and B.108th Streets.

The boardwalk will be closed between B. 35th and B. 40th Streets, B. 60th and B. 66th Streets, B. 69th and 74th Streets, and B. 86th through 126th Streets. There will be access to boardwalk islands at B. 86th Street, B. 97th Street, B. 106th Street, and B. 116th-117th Street.

Visit our Beach Restoration page for more information on what to expect this summer.


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