Protecting Us for 80 Years

dough·boy 

[doh-boi]  noun An American infantryman, especially in World War I.

Over there, over there,

Send the word, send the word over there -

That the Yanks are coming,

The Yanks are coming,

The drums rum-tumming

Everywhere.

So prepare, say a prayer,

Send the word, send the word to beware.

We'll be over, we're coming over,

And we won't come back till it's over

Over there.

For 80 years next month, as testament to the mighty force and bravery of Elginites in the second decade of the 20th Century, this guy has watched over the city, across Downtown Elgin and beyond the railroad tracks and the Fox River, always reminding us of the sacrifices they made to keep us going forward.

He can be found in Davidson Park, at the intersection of Villa Street and Prairie Street, only feet away from the original settlement that became Elgin.