Uncle

[SEATJERKER]

.... paying tribute to, promoting Troy icon




By: Steven S. Couse , The Record 09/27/2004




TROY - Even though George W. Jacques III was born and raised in Green Island, just a stone's throw away from the "Home of Uncle Sam," he didn't know Uncle Sam was a real person until long after having served in the Navy during World War II.


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Since then, Jacques has discovered that many people around the region - and around the world - don't know Uncle Sam was a real person.
He wants to change that.
"A lot of people think Uncle Sam was just a cartoon icon," Jacques said.
He also wants the city of Troy to do more to preserve and highlight its Uncle Sam legacy. And he has a plan.
Jacques is starting the Uncle Sam's Memorial Foundation. He is waiting for paperwork to incorporate the foundation so he can accept donations and begin fund-raising.
He thinks the city has done too little, and could benefit greatly from more attractions devoted to Uncle Sam.
"Every road into Troy has a sign that reads 'Welcome to the Home of Uncle Sam' and all we have to show is a statue," Jacques said.
The statue at the Uncle Sam Monument near Riverfront Park was dedicated in October 1980. There is also a historical marker at Uncle Sam's grave in Oakwood Cemetery on Oakwood Avenue.
In 1793, "Uncle" Sam Wilson and his brother Ebenezer started a meat-packing business between Adams and Jefferson streets east of River Street.
Wilson contracted with the U.S. Army during the war of 1812 to provide beef and pork to the troops.
His workers would joke that the U.S. on the packing barrels stood for "Uncle Sam." From there, the legend grew and Uncle Sam became a national icon.
Jacques entered the Navy when he was 19 and served from 1943 to 1946 in the Pacific Theater. He is a survivor of the battles of Iwo Jima.
He was a mechanical engineering technician at the Watervliet Arsenal for 27 years, retiring in 1984.
In the spring of 2000, Jacques was walking through Troy and noticed the streets were barren. He remembered a time when Troy was always bustling with shoppers and tourists.
"What can be done to revitalize Troy?" he asked himself.
It was then Jacques came up with the idea to promote the heritage of Uncle Sam.
Since then, he has been studying the life of Sam Wilson and designing monuments for the city to consider.
His first plan involved building a memorial site in Prospect Park in an area once called Mount Ida, where the Wilson family had a farm.
As envisioned by Jacques, the building would house a Hall of Flags containing the flag of each state and a Veterans Hall of Valor that would include exhibits and related items from all U.S. wars.
Jacques even built a scale model of his proposal and was to meet with Friends of Prospect Park. However, Jacques said the group canceled his presentation and told him it preferred to keep the park green and uncluttered.
It was then suggested to him that Frear Park might be more suitable, and Jacques went back to the drawing board.
He now envisions a statue of Uncle Sam placed in a small, columned pavilion that already stands near the entrance to Frear Park and using a storage garage used by the park maintenance staff for the Hall of Valor.
Jacques suggests the cost of the projects would be small, and he is seeking no financial help from the city. He just seeks the approval from the city to use the buildings so he can continue with planning and fund-raising.
To raise funds, Jacques has researched and written a book "The Life and Times of Uncle Sam." He has contacted a video production firm to produce a video of the same name. And he has designed a medallion.
Jacques says people have expressed interest in donating funds and as soon as the foundation is established, he will start a bank account to collect donations.
"I don't know why I'm pressing so hard," Jacques said. "I think it's a must."

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[revwardoc]

According to this website, http://www.govbracketthouse.com/arlington.htm, the birthplace of "Uncle Sam" Wilson was Arlington, MA.

[SEATJERKER]

...is listed as "The Home of Uncle Sam,...

...don't know where he was born,...

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