PRESERVING THE MEMORIES: FREEDOM CORNER PILLARS FACE RUIN

Four brick pillars that serve as the backdrop for Cape Girardeau's Freedom Corner are in danger of collapsing due to weather and time.

Cape Girardeau American Legion Post 63 hopes to rebuild the pillars and maintain a part of Cape Girardeau County's history.

Over the years, the pillars have been tuckpointed and repaired numerous times. But Charles Woodford with the legion post said repairs are no longer an option. The bricks and mortar are just too brittle. The choices that remain are removing the pillars or rebuilding them with new bricks.

"I think this is a Cape Girardeau County treasure, a cherished memorial," Woodford said. "It could be razed, but I don't think that's what the people of the county want."

The American Legion Post has started a fund-raising campaign to collect $5,000 to rebuild the pillars. For information on donating, contact Woodford at 335-0773.

Freedom Corner grew from a decision to honor Cape Girardeau County men and women who were serving in World War II.

In mid-summer 1942, America was rejoicing in the defeat of the Imperial Japanese fleet in the battles of Midway and the Coral Sea, when Cape Girardeans gathered at the corner of what is now Capaha Park to dedicate four brick pillars holding two large honor roll boards. The honor rolls listed names of 1,295 men and women who were serving in the armed forces.

On Feb. 3, 1943, two large eagles were mounted atop the center pillars. the eagles came from the salon of the steamer Bald Eagle and were donated to the American Legion post by the Eagle Packet Line.

The eagles have a wingspread of 56 inches and are 44 inches high. One is made of copper, the other of zinc.

By November 1944, the number of names grew to more than 3,700. Gold stars alongside 60 of the names indicated individuals who had died in the war.

After the war, the honor rolls were removed. On May 30, 1950, the first of the memorial plaques was dedicated to honor Cape Girardeau County servicemen killed or missing in action during World War II. Since then plaques have been added honoring those from the county who died in World War I, Korea and Vietnam.

Also in 1950, a replica of the Statue of Liberty was presented to the city by the Boy Scouts. The corner of Capaha Park became known as Freedom Corner.

The corner was refurbished and rededicated in 1990. Two concrete eagles were added to the other pillars during a rededication ceremony in 1990.

But now the pillars are literally crumbling, Woodford said.

"There were actually bricks laying on the ground last week when I was there," he said. "This is such an important part of our history. We think it must be saved."

THE LIST

The bronze plaques on the pillars today honor Cape Girardeau County's war dead from World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Names on the plaques:

World War II

Adams, Thomas R. Jr.

Amos, Calvin Jackson

Atkins, Floyd C.

Baltz, Harold W.

Barenkamp, Edward W.

Bergmann, Otto J.

Biri, Henry F.

Birk, Richard O.

Bohnsack, Robert L.

Borgard, Frederick G.

Bowers, Burnell C.

Brant, Gerald J.

Bucy, Weldon E.

Bueltemann, Leonard W.

Burgfeld, Walter B.

Clippard, Lloyd D.

Clore, Charles S.

Clore, William T.

Cole, John W.

Colmar, Kenneth

Copen, Clinton H.

Cox, Ruskin M.

Craft, Oran E.

Criswell, Joe F.

Crites, Loren

Crites, Loy L.

Cunningham, Jesse H.

Daily, Garland D.

Dalton, Charles E.

Davis, Lawrence E.

Deck, Billy R.

DeLassus, Joseph F.

Denton, Allan C.

Donnewald, Richard B.

Dougan, Harvey Wallace

Drum, Verlin E.

Eddleman, William H.

Eismann, Alfred

Exler, Paul T.

Fee, Ray C.

Foeste, Fred O.

Friedrich, Raymond J.

Goebel, Albert M.

Goodwin, William M.

Grebe, Lawrence W.

Grebe, Nelson L. Jr.

Groseclose, James L.

Hanf, Roy E.

Harper, Wallace L.

Harris, Noble B.

Hellwege, Ira E.

Hesse, Albert A.

Hinman, Bobbie L.

Hobbs, Lester

Hoffman, Joseph L.

Holshouser, Charles M.

Huffman, Gordon W.

Hunter, William J. Jr.

Hutchison, Hosie Jr.

Jones, Freddie E.

Kaiser, George W. Jr.

Karpass, Victor H.

Keller, Walter H.

Kester, Paul H.

Kiehne, H. Howard

Kieninger, Melvin B.

King, Lester

Klobe, John T.

Koch, Douglas A.

Kuecker, Norbert R.

Lance, George O. Jr.

Landgraf, Edmind H.

Leming, William E. Jr.

Litzelfelner, Odus C.

Lorberg, Dewey O.

Long, Wayne W.

Lunsford, Francis G.

McBee, Edward L.

McClard, Willard B.

McClendon, William. J.

McNeil, Jack E.

Middleton, Oscar W.

Mills, Elwood J.

Morrison, John R.

Murphy, Charles E.

Nance, Leon S.

Nicholas, Harry W.

Pankey, Rudolph J.

Patrick, Vernon W.

Patterson, Allen O.

Penrod, Thomas L.

Pippin, John H.

Pletcher, Leo Jr.

Pool, Virgil W.

Probst, Halbert W.

Randol, Mack

Redding, J.W.

Roberts, Don D.

Roth, John R.

Runnels, Cletus M.

Schafer, Louis L.

Scholl, Elmer A.

Schreiner, Paul R.

Seabaugh, R.T.

Sewing, Dale K.

Sides, Dallman Garth

Sieck, John G.

Smith, Leon C.

Southard, Willard D.

Staley, Darrell S.

Stallings, Everett S. Jr.

Stevenson, James L.

Sullivan, Paul A.

Taylor, Claude E.

Thacker, Harold

Todd, Joe

Tweedy, Paul E.

Vancil, Kenneth A.

Vandivort, Arthur C.

Watkins, Lyman W.

Webb, Rupert C.

Welker, Loy J.

Wessell, Glenn W.

Whitworth, Wilbert G.

Wilson, Harry L.

Windsor, William R.

Wyatt, Raymond L.

World War I

Altenthal, Clarence G.

Baker, Cleveland H.

Baker, Florence

Caldwell, Ellis

Crass, Charles A.

Crumb, Harry

Davidson, Wilton W.

Dearmont, Julien S.

Eggers, Ben

Estes, Cephas

Fitzgerald, Jesse W.

Friedhof, Louis

Graden, Arthur F.

Howard, Fred

Joernes, Clark A.

Jones, Harry J.

Juden, Louis K.

King, Roy U.

Knight, Robert W.

Koch, Joseph F.

Lacy, George W.

Mattingly, Randall

Medley, Ralph G.

Neal, John E.

Pearson, John R.

Poe, Charley H.

Reed, Charles

Smith, Fred G.

Snider, William B.

Spradling, Frank

Stedman, Henry

Taylor, E.S.

Taylor, Ezra

Thompson, Benjamin H.

Tucker, Richard

Underwood, Clyde S.

Walker, Birdie B.

Wasem, Louise

Winter, Arthur

Wunderlich, Ben C.

Korean Conflict

Bonney, Buddy Joe

Brockmire, William

Foster, Bobbie

Franklin, Donald E.

Giroir, Jean L. Jr.

Helderman, Arthur W.

Hunter, John L.

Johnston, Donald R.

Loos, Lawrence E.

Lynch, John A.

McManus, Billy Eugene

Monroe, Bill J.

Scholl, Harold C.

Schwach, James K.

Siemers, Clarence A.

Sparks, Ralph Laden

Trantham, Archie P.

Willa, Lionel W.

Wilson, Richard G.

Woods, William E.

Vietnam War

Benton, Carroll Joe

Brock, Terrance L.

Burford, John S.

Eakins, Marion Troy

Emrick, Ervin J.

Finley, Charles P.

Gregory, Robert R.

Hogan, Billy J. Jr.

McCallister, Robert L.

McFall, Robert Dale

Peel, Stephen Blake

Pinkerton, Benjamin R.

Price, Gary Owen

Schemel, Gary Leroy

Taylor, Robert Lee Jr.

Tharp, Earl Watson Jr.