Johnson City – Washington County, Tennessee’s Iron Mike
By: Allen D. Jackson, USAF (Ret)
Johnson City - Washington County, Tennessee’s Iron Mike
Iron Mike is a de facto name of various monuments commemorating servicemen of the United States military. The term "Iron Mike" is an American slang word that identifies the true embodiment of the ideal serviceman, especially ones who are brave, honest, inspiring, loyal and above all tough. It was originally a nautical term for a gyrocompass that kept a ship on an unwavering course. This slang term became popular in the early 1900s and many statues from that period and after like the “Spirit of the American Doughboy” acquired the Iron Mike nickname. Over the years the artists' titles were largely forgotten and even official military publications and classroom texts tend to prefer the nickname to the original titles.
The Spirit of the American Doughboy statue was designed by an American sculptor Ernest Moore “Dick” Viquesney. Its purpose is to honor the veterans and casualties of the Great War (World War I). It was mass produced during the 1920‘s and 30‘s for communities throughout the United States. The statue‘s design was the most popular of its kind and spawned a wave of collectible miniatures and related memorabilia. Thus being said, it also spawned numerous copies by other artists. Nicknames for the statue include: “The Doughboy”, “Iron Mike” and also known in some small circles as “Lady Liberty’s Soldier” for its striking right side appearance to the Statue of Liberty herself.
The statue depicts an American soldier walking through shattered tree stumps strung with barbed wire, his rifle in his left hand and his right hand held high above his head grasping a grenade. The most replicated version of the statue was the 1920 version of 75 pressed copper sheets that were fitted over and welded to an internal skeleton. In 1934 due to the depression and the rising cost of copper, cast zinc was used to keep the price affordable. The zinc was then coated with a finish giving the statue a bronze appearance, only 23 of these were fabricated. The mouth was changed in 1935 to look like the 1920 version. The rarest version sculpted in 1922 was done in marble and only three are known to exist. All three versions do have slight physical differences, as well as to materials used.
The design and affordability of the statue made it extremely popular and Viquesney boasted that over 300 pieces were created for municipal memorials across the nation. That number cannot be substantiated now since some were destroyed and not replaced, others were destroyed and replaced with copies, and some that still exist were removed from public display due to a number of factors and stored away to maybe one day be rediscovered. The exact number of these originals will probably never be known, but the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. currently lists 159 locations in now 38 states. The 39th state (Nebraska) had its only Viquesney stolen in 1959, it was never recovered or replaced. Of that number, 134 are existing originals and 120 of those are the 1920 copper versions. Each one has been independently authenticated and assigned a control number. Many additional statues having been believed to be Viquesney’s have been identified as copies by other artists, most notably “Over the Top to Victory” by John Paulding.
The original statue was completed in early 1921 while Viquesney was living in Americus, Georgia and it’s located in Nashville, Georgia. However, it was not the first statue to be erected. The first was dedicated at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina on 7 June 1921. The Iron Mike in Spencer, Indiana, the sculptor's hometown, wasn’t dedicated until 29 May 1927. The Spirit of the American Doughboy also had a companion piece known as the “Spirit of the American Navy”. It was produced in 1926 and only seven pieces are known to exist since there was very little public interest in it.
Johnson City - Washington County, Tennessee’s Spirit of the American Doughboy - Iron Mike is the cast zinc 1934 version with the 1935 updated mouth. It was purchased by the American Legion Kings Mountain Post #24 for $700 and that included delivery and set-up from Spenser, Indiana where it was fabricated. It was presented and dedicated during a ceremony to the city and the county by them on 11 November 1935. The plaque at the base reads: “Dedicated to the Memory of our Comrades who entered the service of their Country from Washington County and who gave their lives in the World War”. It was rededicated during “Doughboy Day” on 11 November 1974 and an additional plaque was set at the back reading the same as the 1935 plaque, but replaced the World War reference with World War II, Korean and Vietnam Wars. In September 2012, the statue was dismounted and taken to a local company (Gardner Paint Services) for refurbishment, an application of a new protective coating and replacement of the missing bayonet. He was returned on 30 August 2013 and was rededicated as a historical marker with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the main entrance to the new 25 acre Memorial Park on its original mount on Main Street across from the City Hall. It has been authenticated as an original Viquesney and carries the Smithsonian Art Inventory Control number of IAS 47260105. Also, he’s the only Spirit of the American Doughboy erected in the State of Tennessee.
Note: This statue sparked an interior decorating fad in the 1920s. The design was so popular that Viquesney produced replica 6 and 12 inch pot metal statuettes by the thousands. Also, available were doughboy lamps, which were made from the 12" statuettes (the doughboy held a light bulb with lampshade in his raised hand), candlesticks, plaques and a less expensive plaster statuette. The statuettes and lamps were made from 1921 to 1925 in Americus, Georgia and continued to be made in Spencer, Indiana until the late 1930s. With the passage of time and changes in fashion, many of these items were lost, broken, or discarded making those few that remain in good condition highly sought after.
References:
http://doughboysearcher.weebly.com/the-spirit-of-the-american-doughboy.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_of_the_American_Doughboy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Mike
Johnson City Press clipping dated 12 November 1974
