Less than 24 hours after finding an amazing new form of "Tree Shaped Tombstone" I found another one. This "Doughboy" is in the Evergreen Cemetery of Manitowoc. The condition is not quite as good, but it is still magnificent.
This is the grave of Private Otto Luecke.
As you can see, the right ear and the brim of his had have had some damage. There is also a bit more overall weathering. This makes it hard to read the inscription on the "stump" but it indicates he died in Manchester England. I assumed he was a victim of the "Spanish Flu". And I was right.
It is a sobering reminder that the Four Horsemen always ride in tandem. The 1918 influenza pandemic killed many more than the shell fire and machine gun bullets of The Great War.
With the discovery of two essentially identical monuments it is clear that we are not dealing with a one off done by some talented and dedicated craftsman. Somebody was creating and marketing these on a larger scale. It is difficult to track them down with a standard Google image search, you just get buried under tons of more commonplace World War monuments. But I have found at least two other specimens from other states. I'd love to learn out more if anyone knows anything....
The fact that this was a commodity in no way detracts from their beauty. You could not make something like this without considerable skill and passion for your work. I'm sure the families appreciated it.
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