Philippi Doughboy Memorial Ceremony on November 4, 2023

American Legion Post 44 will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the dedication of “The Spirit of the American Doughboy” Soldiers’ Memorial. Post 44 plans for a 10:00 AM ceremony at the memorial on the front lawn of the Barbour County Courthouse in Philippi.

A red carnation for each fallen soldier will be placed in a Memorial Wreath as retired Circuit Court Judge Alan D. Moats reads the names of young men and women from Barbour County who gave their lives in service to the country from World War I to the present. WV Secretary of State Mac Warner, whose family roots in Barbour County run deep, will join in honoring the fallen soldiers.

The names of Barbour County’s fallen soldiers to be honored at the ceremony can be found on the Barbour County Commission website https://barbourcountywv.org/. Click on Document Center, scroll down to History Corner and select “Spirit of the American Doughboy.” The History Corner entry also includes newspaper articles from the original dedication of the Soldier’s Memorial in 1923, as well as information about the statue and its creator, E. M. Visquesney.