The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2060 in Perry recently received an anonymous donation in the form of a handmade carving of an iconic military image.
“I got a call about a week ago,” said World War II veteran of the U.S. Army and Legion of Honor awardee Mahlon Conaway of Perry. “The person didn’t identify himself, but he said a donation had been made to the VFW and was setting on the steps of the American Legion Hall.”
Conaway said when he got to the Legion Hall, he found a wooden statue standing about 4 feet tall and figuring a pair of army boots on each side of an M16 assault rifle, upside down and with its bayonet stuck in the ground.
Atop the butt of the rifle was a helmet with a sergeant’s stripes to show rank. On the base of the carving are the words, “2060 VFW Perry, IA.”
Conaway brought the anonymously donated artwork to the Perry VFW’s November meeting, and the membership was grateful for the gift. Members present with Conaway were Tom South, Richard Bailey, Dana Hoffman, Nathan Hoffman and Ron Leber.
The Perry VFW holds its monthly meetings at the Perry Masonic Lodge at 3300 Willis Ave.
“The Masons said we can store the statue here for the time being,” Conaway said.
There are 1,176 U.S. veterans buried in Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry, and 955 of them served in overseas wars or conflicts, including veterans of World War I (317 buried in Violet Hill), World War II (497), Korea (111), Vietnam (26) and the Persian Gulf war (4).
