Sean Davis for Astoria

In 1926, the people of Astoria and Uniontown did something remarkable. They did not wait for someone else to step up. They built the Doughboy Monument, formally the Astoria Victory Monument, to honor Clatsop County’s World War I veterans. The city took responsibility for the base, the American Legion raised money for the statue, and local Uniontown businesses and families helped make it happen. All but $250 of the $1,400 needed for the statue was reportedly raised in a single afternoon, with the rest gathered in less than a week. That is not just a monument story. That is a community story. 

That monument still stands today, nearly 100 years later, at one of the most visible intersections in Astoria. It was built in 1926, honors Clatsop County veterans of the First World War, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not some forgotten slab tucked behind a fence. It is a public statement about memory, sacrifice, and gratitude. 

And that is exactly why its 100th anniversary matters.

I know what service costs. I bled for this country. As a Purple Heart recipient, I know our veterans deserve more than a nod now and then when a holiday rolls around. Not because veterans are asking for applause, but because a healthy community remembers who helped carry it. A county that can rally to build a monument in 1926 can rally to honor it in 2026.

This is not only about one statue, either. It is about whether we in Clatsop County are willing to treat veteran service as part of our living civic culture instead of something we acknowledge only when the calendar tells us to. Clatsop County has an unusually large veteran population. Census Reporter estimates about 11% of county residents are veterans which is about 1.5 times the Oregon rate and more than 1.5 times the national rate. U.S. Census QuickFacts also shows Clatsop County’s total population at just over 41,000, which means veterans are a meaningful and visible part of this county’s identity.

There is also a practical reason to take this seriously. Research and VA reporting continue to show that veterans in rural communities face elevated risks of isolation and suicide. One VA research summary says veterans living in rural areas have a 20 to 22 percent higher suicide risk than urban veterans, and Oregon research has identified many rural Oregon counties as places where veteran suicide mortality ran higher than expected relative to the state rate. In other words, honoring veterans is not just ceremonial. It can also be part of building connection, visibility, and belonging. If there’s a chance we can fight veteran suicide with a celebration. Why not do it?  

That is why Clatsop County should create a Veterans Advisory Committee.

Right now, Clatsop County has a number of standing councils and advisory bodies, including the Human Services Advisory Council and other boards and commissions, but there is not a county veterans advisory committee listed among them. At the same time, the county clearly recognizes the importance of veteran-focused work through its Veterans Services Office, its Military and Veterans Convention, and public efforts like Operation Green Light. That tells me the foundation is already there. What is missing is a formal table where veterans can help shape the work. 

A Veterans Advisory Committee could help plan meaningful celebrations for Veterans Day and Memorial Day. It could coordinate anniversaries like the Doughboy centennial. It could help preserve monuments and memorials, partner with schools and historical groups, recognize local veterans, recommend projects to support veterans and their families, and make sure the county hears directly from the people who have worn the uniform. This would not be performative. It would be practical, local, and lasting.

And the Doughboy Monument itself gives us the blueprint. It was an incredible feat when it was built. It took vision, organization, fundraising, and a belief that honoring service mattered enough to put stone, bronze, and labor behind it. The same kind of civic engagement could build something lasting again, not just in concrete this time, but in policy, tradition, and county leadership. 

There is another reason the moment feels right. Astoria is already proving in 2026 that this town knows how to celebrate a centennial. The Astoria Column’s 100th anniversary has drawn organized community events and a rededication effort. If we can do that for one of our landmark monuments, surely we can do no less for the monument that honors the men of this county who answered the call to serve in war. 

The Doughboy’s centennial should not pass quietly. It should be marked with ceremony, education, and gratitude. It should bring together veterans, families, students, historians, civic groups, and the broader public. It should remind us that honor is not abstract. It is something a community practices.

A hundred years ago, the people of Astoria and Uniontown built a monument worthy of remembrance. The least we can do now is prove we are still worthy of it.