LEST WE FORGET...

During World War I, Mrs. Frank de Garmo founded the "National Society of the 1917 World War Registrars, Inc." She organized the Missouri State Registrars to collect records of all Missouri soldiers before they went overseas. Adjt. General Clark was pleased with her efforts and appointed her as Chief Registrar of his office, commissioning her to visit Camps Funston, Fort Doniphan, Fort Sill, and other mobilization camps to collect the records of all St. Louis men and women in service.

As the war progressed, a group called the "Gold Star Mothers" was created by Mrs. Frank de Garmo and other St. Louis mothers of soldiers who died in World War I. In the 1920s the "Gold Star Mothers" organized an effort to honor these fallen soldiers by creating a memorial plaque for each soldier, sailor, and marine. The plaques were cast in bronze, embossed with a star and the name, rank, outfit, cause of death, and branch of service of the person being honored. In the median of Kingshighway Boulevard, the Court of Honor was erected to display 1,185 bronze gold star plaques with a European Sycamore Tree planted along side each.

At that time, the name of Kingshighway Blvd. was changed to Kingshighway Memorial Drive from Easton Avenue north to west Florissant. The plaques remained on Kingshighway Memorial Drive from the 1920s to the 1980s when the median was modified due to street expansions. When the construction started in the early 1980s, the members of Rollo-Calcaterra American Legion Post 15 rallied and saved these memorial plaques from destruction. Of the original 1,185 plaques, 752 were rescued.

Recently the collection was on loan to Jefferson Barracks Park in a W.W.I. display. A representative of the Jefferson Barracks Chapel Association at the national cemetery contacted Post 15 to see if they would be interested in donating the plaques for permanent display at the chapel. Working closely with the Chapel Association, the Cemetery, and an Architect, the Post has decided to donate the plaques to this project. Also part of the memorial will be an additional bronze plaque listing the names of the soldiers with missing gold star plaques. At the proposed site the plaques will be mounted in concrete on an inclined slope and placed around the base of the Cemetery's Chapel.

Since the final location of these plaques will be at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, this WWI Veterans monument will be honored here in their hometown of St. Louis and amongst their fellow fallen soldiers. Lest we forget the bravery and sacrifice of these men & women, we honor them.

As we approach the 100th Anniversary of "The War to End All Wars", the Rollo-Calcaterra American Legion Post 15 is requesting your help to fund this project. If you or your group is interested in making a donation to this great cause, please make it payable to:

W.W.I. J.B. Chapel Fund
Jefferson Barracks Chapel Association
11840 Eddie & Park Road
Saint Louis, Missouri 63126-2925
http://www.stl-lestweforget.org

501C3 Tax Exempt Organization Federal Id# 43-1181867

DIRECTORS

LEST WE FORGET...

Help Us Honor St. Louis' Fallen World War I HEROES!