.: Mt. Pleasant's Doughboy

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Mt. Pleasant's Doughboy

A few months ago I posted new information about Mt. Pleasant's Doughboy Statue. We had a fellow come into the Relic Home and asked what we could tell him about the doughboy. He also told us that a doughboy statue replica was sometimes given to the families of those who were killed in WWI. I told him that I believed we had one in our own basement.

Jacob Hafen was a brother to Wilford Hafen, Peter's Grandfather.

Sure enough !!!

The next photo is the doughboy found on the internet and more information can be had at: https://emvarchive.weebly.com/doughboy-sales-brochure.html

If you look real close, you can see that the left arm and hand are missing and also the rifle.

The instruction sheet describes a serious design flaw in the piece: The left hand and rifle were cast as a separate unit with a lug projecting off the wrist, which had to be glued into a hole in the left sleeve. Since there was no "Super-Glue" back in those days, the rifle often would fall out and get lost or broken.

Our doughboy was probably given to the Hafen family because of Jacob Hafen who died while serving in WWI

"Doughboy"is an informal term for a member of the United States Army or Marine Corps. Today it is especially used to refer to members of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. (A popular mass-produced sculpture of the 1920s, the Spirit of the American Doughboy,
Courtesy of Wikipedia

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The following comes from History of Mt. Pleasant.

World War

When the United States entered the World War, the people of Mt. Pleasant loyally responded to every call, and made a record of which it may well be proud. One hundred and eighteen boys enlisted from Mt. Pleasant, and a number of Mt. Pleasant's sons enlisted from other communities. As the boys, one by one or in groups, boarded the train, great crowds, although sad at heart, cheered them as they left for the front. Three of the number died in service. Ralph Braby, while in California, drowned, Jacob Hafen died of disease, and Henry Merville Zabriskie was killed in action, overseas.

The Sanpete County Council of Defense was organized as follows: J. W. Cherry, chairman; Burke McArthur, secretary; Ed. Johnston, treasurer; Committee chairmen, Finance, N. S. Nielsen; Publicity, Burke McArthur; Legal, J. W. Cherry; Sanitation and Medicine, Ed. Johnston; Food supply and conservation, L. R. Anderson; Industrial survey, Orlando Bradley; Labor, Christian Willardsen; Military affairs, J. Morgan Johnson; State protection, H. R. Thomas; Survey of manpower, L. P. Brady; Woman's work, Mrs. G. W. Martin.

In June 1918, there were deposited in the Mt. Pleasant Commercial and Savings Bank, by Mr. N. S. Nielsen, county chairman of finance, to the credit of W. G. McAdoo, treasurer of the National American Red Cross, seven thousand five hundred dollars.

The citizens went over the top in the various other drives conducted. Liberty bonds, postal savings, Soldier's Welfare Relief, Christmas boxes, tobacco, conservation of food, etc.

Local committees were organized, among them the local Red Cross. The officers of this organization visited the neighboring cities, Fairview, Fountain Green, Moroni, Wales, Chester, and Spring City, and in cooperation with them, purchased material and sewed articles called for. There were checked out something over $3.000, which had been obtained by weekly canvasses made by women and girls, and by other volunteer donations other than the National drives. Mt. Pleasant headquarters were established at about 122 West Main, where the women, some representing different organizations, met and did sewing, etc., required. Many shipments of goods were made. The officers at this time were: C. L. Johns, president; Mrs. Grace Madsen and Miss Irene Nielsen, vice presidents; Miss Hilda Madsen, secretary and treasurer.

Mt. Pleasant History (1939) pp 199-200 by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf