Don’t neglect the doughboy

Many likely pass by Memorial Park Community Center without giving a second thought to the sentry standing at the entrance to the grounds.

The regal doughboy statue has guarded the site almost continuously since 1935 when American Legion Kings Mountain Post 24 erected it to honor American military personnel who died in World War I. For decades, fans and students filed past it on their way to watch Science Hill High School play football. We can’t help but wonder how many took the time to read the inscriptions or even knew why the doughboy was there at all.