Vandalized World War II Statue Will Be Costly To Repair

GASTON COUNTY, N.C.,None — Where the helmet used to stand on the wooden Fallen Soldier Battle Cross in front of the Belmont American Legion Post, there is now nothing but a jagged edge. Sometime during the night of June 17, a vandal ripped the helmet from the monument.

It was eerily similar to another act of vandalism that occurred this past Sunday on a World War II monument that sits outside of Belmont Middle School.

The Fallen Soldier Battle Cross is a symbolic cross laid for soldiers who are buried on the battlefield. The soldier's rifle is placed in the ground and his helmet placed on top. His boots are put in front of it. But the Belmont replica, missing its helmet, is no longer complete.

So when the head was lopped off of the World War II memorial statue, "The Spirit of the Fighting Yank," in front of Belmont Middle School, members of the Legion post couldn't help but think the two incidents were connected. The middle school and the post are blocks from each other.

Larry Robinette, who filed a report with the police about the Legion's monument, said the relationship between someone stealing a head from a statue and a helmet from a statue is a bit too coincidental for him.

"It's got us wondering if it's related," Robinette said. "There's no doubt in my mind it was the same person."

The Belmont Police Department is directing all calls about "The Spirit of the Fighting Yank" to Bonnie Reidy, the communications officer for Gaston County Schools. However, Reidy is out of the office until Monday and unavailable to comment.

E.M. Viquesney's "The Spirit of the Fighting Yank" was first installed at the school in 1946 and was dedicated to Viquesney. The Belmont statue was the first installation of Viquesney's work following his suicide.

Earl Goldsmith of Houston has spent the past 20 years researching Viquesney's sculptures. He helps to run a website, Dough Boy Searcher, about the sculptor and his work.

He said that while many of the artist's sculptures were paid for by local Veteran of Foreign Wars troops, he has been unable to discover the origins of the Belmont statue.

Goldsmith said Viquesney created somewhere between 140 and 150 World War I sculptures, but only five World War II statues, including the one in Belmont.

Viquesney made the mold in 1943. The five sculptures were cast by the Raphael Groppi Studio of Chicago.

Les Kopel, who runs the website with Goldsmith, said the hollow statues are not actually bronze, but cast zinc. The only bronze version of the statue is a replica in Port Huron, Mich.

Jane Foley restored Chicago's version of the sculpture. She said the use of zinc sculptures, or "poor man's bronze," was common in the 19th century. Queen Victoria had several of them.

After viewing photos of the damaged sculpture, Foley estimated it would take four weeks to restore. Because the head is missing, any restoration process would require recasting a new head.

Goldsmith said any restoration process would be costly. He didn't think it could be done for less than $25,000.

The American Legion bought a replacement helmet, but the latest incident has left them concerned about hanging it back up. They fear the vandal might be back to rip it down again.

WSOC