This is a life-size marble WWI soldier, holding an Enfield rifle in his right hand and a grenade in his left. He wears a hip-length jacket, spiral leggings, an ammunition belt, and a helmet. Beneath is a rectangular concrete with a tapered bottom. lt was dedicated on November 11,1923, as a tribute to the men of High Point who served in WWI.
Monument Dedication and Unveiling
Several thousand people were in attendance for the statue unveiling. The principle speaker for the day was the Commander of Ft. Bragg, General A.J. Bowley. The day’s events included a parade, a 21 gun salute and music provided by a combined choir from various churches. The monument was unveiled by Miss Frances Walsh as the Elk Band played the national anthem. High Point businessman Robert Brockett presented the statue which was accepted by Mayor John W. Hedrick. During his speech Bowley said that he was afraid that the fighting had stopped several months too soon, saying that he believed “the present conditions in Europe show that we should have continued the push for about three months longer, and it is possible that the work left incomplete must yet be done.”
About 100 people gathered for the 2004 re-dedication. One of those in attendance was city resident Mary Lou Brinson, whose father A. Coke Cecil is one of heroes listed on the plaques at the statue’s base. “It’s a lifelong dream (to see it prominently displayed),” Brinson said. “Nobody saw it on the back (streets).”


































World War One was a watershed in American history. The United States' decision to join the battle in 1917 "to make the world safe for democracy" proved pivotal in securing allied victory — a victory that would usher in the American Century.