Owego man to attend Washington, D.C. memorial unveiling

By JoAnn R. Walter —

You might recognize Gary Mattscheck if you have turned out for Owego’s annual Memorial Day parade, or have attended the Veterans Day ceremony.

Mattscheck, a life-long Owego resident, has marched in the annual parade dressed in a traditional “Doughboy” uniform, and takes a chair in the audience on Veterans Day. His inspiration is to remember and honor the sacrifices of Tioga County’s World War I soldiers.

Gary commented, “I started participating as a Doughboy after the one hundredth anniversary of the end of World War I in 2018.”

Next week Mattscheck will suit up for a longer journey. Gary will be traveling to Washington, D.C. via train, along with a friend, and will attend a Wreath-Laying and Illumination Ceremony scheduled for Sept. 13 at the National World War I Memorial.

The event will feature the unveiling of a finished 25-ton bronze sculpture, and the centerpiece and final element of the memorial.

The World War I Memorial opened in 2021, and is located in the former Pershing Park, one block from the Washington Monument. The memorial honors the 4.7 million Americans who served, and the more than 116,000 who lost their lives.

The bronze sculpture, named “A Soldier’s Journey”, is the final piece of the memorial and spans nearly 60-feet in length and stands 10-feet high. 

Designed by master sculptor Sabin Howard, the piece features 38 larger-than-life-size human figures, and tells the story of our nation’s Doughboys during the First World War. 

According to the World War I Centennial Commission, “A Soldier’s Journey” will be the largest freestanding high-relief bronze in the Western Hemisphere.

Mattscheck is excited about the trip, and it will be his first visit to our nation’s capital.

Along with donning his World War I Doughboy uniform, Gary said that he will be taking along a 1917 Army / Navy Prayer Book, as well as a book of songs from the era such as George M. Cohan’s “Over There.”

Mattscheck will attend the Wreath Laying ceremony in the morning, which also honors General John J. Pershing’s birthday. Pershing was the Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces during the Great War.

Gary will also attend the Illumination Ceremony in the evening, which will mark the permanent illumination at the memorial.

Performances at the event will feature the United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own”, as well as a 20-member bugle corps hailing from the U.S. and Allied nations. All are to be donned in World War I uniforms and will play “Aux Morts”, the French bugle call; “The Last Post”, the British bugle call; and “Taps”, the U.S. bugle call. 

Gary remarked, “I am going to represent all from Owego.”

Mattscheck noted that he also looks forward to connecting with members of the East Coast Doughboys. The group of reenactors and living historians represent individuals from Maine to Virginia. The East Coast Doughboys are quite active at various events, such as participating at the WWI weekend at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Red Hook, N.Y., and marching in the New York City Veterans Day parade.

You can explore the World War I Memorial and view the Sept. 13 event via livestream on the Doughboy Foundation website, https://doughboy.org.