John Cervone, a local veteran, donated his time and effort to clean up the WWI Memorial at the rotary at Smith St. & Woonasquatucket Ave., in front of St. Alban’s Church.
The monument is a bronze statue of a World War I “Doughboy” – the nickname given to the American Expeditionary Force. It was unveiled in a flag-draped ceremony on the lawn of St. Alban Church with a band playing military music, veterans in uniform and residents gathered.
The statue was mounted on a large stone donated by Nellie Appleby Angell from her farm on nearby Angell Avenue, according to Town Historian Thomas Greene, who with his wife Barbara authored the two North Providence books in the “Images of America” series.
The statue was named “On to Victory” and it was designed and modeled by John G. Hardy, a sculptor from Warwick, according to the Greenes.
Mr. Cervone fought in Vietnam and served in OIF 2008. He also wrote a book relating to his experiences in Iraq. He said that when he saw the state of the monument he had to do something to renew its pride and that “sometimes our pride and self respect are all we have left.”
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