Camp Merritt Memorial Monument facts for kids
(2016)
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| Coordinates | 40°56′29″N 73°58′36″W / 40.9413°N 73.9768°W |
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| Location |  CR 505 and Madison AvenueCresskill–Dumont, New Jersey |
| Material | granite |
| Height | 66 feet (20 m) |
| Completion date | 1924 |
| Opening date | May 30, 1924 |
| Dedicated to | Camp Merritt |
| Website | Official website: http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/facilities/facility/details/Camp-Merritt-Memorial-Monument-8 |
The Camp Merritt Memorial Monument is a special place that honors soldiers from World War I. These soldiers passed through a place called Camp Merritt, New Jersey, before going to fight in Europe. The monument especially remembers the 578 people who sadly died at the camp. They passed away because of a serious illness that spread around the world in 1918. Their names are carved into the monument.
You can find this monument in Bergen County, New Jersey. It stands in the middle of a traffic circle where Cresskill and Dumont meet. Camp Merritt was a very important place. Over a million soldiers went through it. The monument shows where the center of this big camp used to be.
About the Monument
The Camp Merritt Memorial Monument looks a lot like the Washington Monument. It is a tall, pointed stone pillar called an obelisk. The monument stands 66 feet (about 20 meters) high. It is made from a strong stone called granite.
A famous artist named Robert Ingersoll Aitken created a large carving on the monument. This carving shows a World War I soldier, often called a "doughboy," with an eagle above him. On one side of the monument, there's a message. It says that the monument marks the center of the camp. It also faces the road where more than a million American soldiers traveled. They went to and from World War I between 1917 and 1919.
Near the monument, there is a big rock with a copper plaque. This plaque was designed by Katherine Lamb Tait. It shows a picture of the Palisades, which are tall cliffs along the Hudson River. There is also a stone carving on the ground that shows a map of what Camp Merritt looked like.
Dedication Ceremony
The Camp Merritt Memorial Monument was officially opened on Memorial Day, May 30, 1924. A very important military leader, General John J. Pershing, spoke at the event. He was the commander of the American forces in World War I. About 20,000 people came to watch the ceremony.
Other important people also spoke, including the Governor of New Jersey, George S. Silzer. Mrs. Laura Williams Merritt was also there. She was the wife of Major General Wesley Merritt, who the camp was named after. The President at the time, Calvin Coolidge, was invited but could not attend.
Images for kids
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Relief by Robert Ingersoll Aitken at the base of the obelisk
See also
In Spanish: Monumento conmemorativo de Camp Merritt para niños
