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August 28, 2017
Alabama World War I soldiers memorialized during historic event commemorating 100th anniversary of their service
Bronze sculpture designed by world-renowned sculptor James Butler, R.A., dedicated 100 years to the day the 167th left Union Station to fight in France in WWI
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today hundreds gathered at Montgomery’s Union Station for a historic event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 167th U.S. Infantry Regiment’s departure from Alabama to fight in France during World War I. At 5 p.m., The Rainbow Soldier, a bronze sculpture designed by acclaimed British sculptor James Butler, R.A., was dedicated in honor of these soldiers 100 years to the day they left Union Station.
Among those in the audience were many of the descendants of the nearly 3,700 Alabamians who comprised the 167th and such dignitaries as Consul General of France Louis de Corail and U.S. World War I Centennial Commissioner Dr. Monique B. Seefried. Remarks were given by Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange; Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean, Sr.; Major General Sheryl Gordon, Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard; and business and community leader Mr. Nimrod T. Frazer, who gifted the sculpture to the City of Montgomery. Following the ceremony, guests attended a reception during which the Alabama State University Wind Ensemble played the music of James Reese Europe, a Mobile native who was the band leader for the famous 369th “Harlem Hellfighters” Infantry Regiment. He is credited with introducing France, and possibly Europe, to jazz music.
ABOUT THE 167TH
The men of the 167th U.S. Infantry Regiment were part of the famous 42nd Rainbow Division, and their contributions in multiple battles were vital to winning the war. Known as “The Immortals,” these heroic soldiers, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice, were revered for their unwavering courage in the face of unrelenting enemy attack. Their bravery in fighting alongside the French at the Battle of Croix Rouge Farm helped push back the Germans at the Ourcq River, one of the most critical points of the war. Success there came at a high price, as the Battle of Croix Rouge Farm remains the second deadliest battle in Alabama history.
Those who survived were welcomed home to Alabama in May of 1919 with celebrations befitting their heroic status, but time has faded remembrance of their service and sacrifice. The Rainbow Soldier dedicated today at Union Station will ensure these Alabamians will never be forgotten.
ABOUT THE SCULPTURE
The sculpture is a gift to the City of Montgomery from the Croix Rouge Memorial Foundation made possible through the generosity of longtime business and community leader Nimrod T. Frazer. A military hero himself, having earned the Silver Star for his service in Korea, Frazer has dedicated much of his life to ensuring present and future generations understand the legacy of the 167th. Author of Send the Alabamians: World War I Fighters in the Rainbow Division, which tells the remarkable story of these soldiers, Frazer commissioned the Croix Rouge Farm Memorial in 2011. Located to the south of the French city of Fère-en-Tardenois on the site of the Battle of Croix Rouge Farm, the memorial is the first casting of The Rainbow Soldier. The Montgomery sculpture is the second casting.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Both sculptures were designed by acclaimed British sculptor James Butler, RA. Butler also designed the bronze sculpture of Daedalus that was inaugurated at Maxwell Air Force Base on April 6, 2017. It commemorates the centennial of World War I and the World War I pilots for whom the Order of the Daedalians was established at Maxwell Air Force Base in 1934. Butler has been a member of the Royal Academy since 1964 and is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. His influence has traveled the globe, as his monuments and memorials stand in the United Kingdom, the United States, Kenya, Zambia, Saudi Arabia, France, Singapore and Madeira.
BOND BETWEEN FRANCE AND ALABAMA
It is a fitting tribute that The Rainbow Soldier now stands in both Fère-en-Tardenois and Montgomery. Although 100 years have passed, a deep bond remains between France and Alabama in remembrance of their native sons who fought and died for a noble cause. These statues, though thousands of miles apart, memorialize that connection and offer a permanent reminder of the heroic men they symbolize.
FRAZER RECEIVES FRENCH KNIGHTHOOD
During a special ceremony held Sunday evening at Maxwell Air Force Base, Nimrod T. Frazer received France’s highest national decoration, the Legion of Honor. He was selected for this honor because of his efforts to keep alive the memory of French and American soldiers who fought and died in World War I and for commissioning a memorial to the Rainbow Division near Chateau-Thierry gifted to the city of Fère-en-Tardenois in 2012. For more than two centuries, the Legion of Honor has been bestowed upon those considered models of French civic service. It was founded on the principles of individual merit, universal recognition and contribution to the public good. Frazer is among such Americans as President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, Miles Davis and Barbra Streisand who have also been distinguished with the Legion of Honor.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 167TH AND ALABAMA’S ROLE IN WORLD WAR I
The soldiers of the 167th were from hundreds of cities and towns throughout Alabama. A roster of Alabamians in the 167th can be found in Send the Alabamians: World War I Fighters in the Rainbow Division as well as online at http://croixrougefarm.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/CroixRougeCompleteRoster.pdf
For more information about Mr. Frazer’s work in France and the Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation, please visit www.croixrougefarm.org.
Remembering the Great War is a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Auburn University and the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Learn more at www.rememberingthegreatwar.org.
Learn more about the work of the Alabama World War I Centennial Commission at www.ww1cc.org/alabama.
Suggested reading: Send the Alabamians: World War I Fighters in the Rainbow Division, written by Nimrod T. Frazer, available at local retailer, Montgomery Visitor’s Center, Goat Hill Museum Gift Shop and www.amazon.com.
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