A highly anticipated monument honouring a US World War II veteran has grabbed the attention of onlookers, but unfortunately not for its craftsmanship.
Only a few days after the unveiling of the statute depicting General William Darby, visitors noticed the word “American” had been misspelt on the $200,000 (£136,000) statue’s plaque, missing out the “I” and reading “Amercan” instead, 5 News reports.
The bronze monument honouring General Darby, who founded the US Army Rangers, was installed on Monday and formally dedicated on Saturday in Fort Smith, Arkansas, after years of the effigy being absent from a plinth in the city’s Cisterna Park.
Hundreds of people, including former Army Rangers and veterans from around the country, turned out to witness the statue’s unveiling, which was described by one local as the “greatest thing that ever happened to the city of Fort Smith”, 5 News reports.
It took three years for the Darby Legacy Project to fund and organise the installation of the 12ft monument, It was funded by private donations and the sale of personalised dedication bricks, which cost $75 (£50), according to the project’s website.
A spokesperson for the Darby Legacy Project told 5 News, the group are aware of the error and are in the process of correcting the mistake.
Brigadier General William Orlando Darby was born in Fort Smith in 1911 and is best known for his organisation of the First Ranger Battalion during World War II. He died on 10 April 1945 after a shell burst in the middle of a group of assembled officers while he was issuing orders for the attack on Trento, Italy to cut off a German retreat. Two days later, on 2 May 1945, all German forces in Italy surrendered.
General Darby, who was 34 at the time of his death, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general on 15 May 1945.
“He was known as an exemplary leader in combat, and he always led his men into battle,” the Darby Legacy Project says. The life size monument is a recreation of documented pictures of General Darby riding a Harley Davidson during World War II.
