Merle Hay monument rededication, Governors Island: 17 September 2017
One of the most poignant moments at Camp Doughboy this past weekend was the rededication of the Merle Hay monument on Sunday morning. The color guard you see here are active service personnel currently serving in the First Division’s 16th Infantry Regiment. They had come from Fort Riley in Kansas and are the same men who had been in Paris this past July for the ceremonies there. The men in uniform behind them are living historians who had set up camp on the island for the weekend. I snapped the image of the new tablet a few minutes after the unveiling. I thought I would re-up the video we produced a few summers ago about Private Merle B. Hay. It is so good to see that the Hay tablet is back where it belongs.
Private Merle Hay tablet, Governors Island National Monument
The Strawfoot 
This road on Governor’s Island is the 2nd Merle Hay Road. The first is in Des Moines, IA and was named November 19, 1917, just days after Pvt. Hay was killed. It is probably the most well known street in Iowa & and an exit on I-80. The largest mall in Iowa is on the road and named Merle Hay Mall. The road was the route to Camp Dodge which was growing for its’ use during WWI.
Thanks for the comment, Pat. I have indeed heard there is a great deal of commemoration of Hay in Iowa. It is good to know he is not forgotten.