The ''Massachusetts Peace Statue'' — ''It Shall Not Be Again'', is a war memorial statue built in the town of

Orange, Massachusetts Orange is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,569 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Part of the town is included in the census-designated plac ...

in recognition of

veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

who served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. On February 25, 2000 the legislature designated it the official peace statue of the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. "A memorial statue built in the town of

in recognition of veterans who served in World War I and designated as the Orange Peace Statue shall be the official peace statue of the Commonwealth." The statue was created by sculptor

Joseph Pollia Joseph Pasquale Pollia (6 March 1894, Sicily, Italy – 12 December 1954, New York City) was an Italian-born American sculptor who created numerous monuments and war memorials. Biography He and his family – parents Pasquale and Alexan ...

(1894-1954) and dedicated on May 30,1934. According to Congressman John W. Olver of Massachusetts, this sculpture received national attention when it was dedicated in 1934 and First Lady

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

sent a letter commemorating the event. The sculpture depicts a

doughboy Doughboy was a popular nickname for the American infantryman during World War I. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s. Examples include the 1942 song "Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in ...

just returned from the war-torn fields of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. He is seated wearily on a stump, and beside him stands a typical American schoolboy of perhaps 10 years, who is partially embraced by the soldier’s left arm. He appears to be listening intently to the soldier’s words with fist clenched. The statue appears in the fifth episode of

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

inspired series, '' Castle Rock''.

Symbolism

This statue addresses the need for world peace through its inscription "It Shall Not Be Again" and is said to be the only peace statue of its kind. The sculpture is placed on top of a two-tiered base decorated with a plaque depicting a profiled female figure with the words "It shall not be again". Her left hand is placed over the top of a shield and her right hand is held up to her face; there is a helmet and gun at her feet. Eleven stars on the shield denote the eleven young men from Orange who gave their lives in World War I. The inscription is from a poem entitled "Apparitions" by Thomas Curtis Clark (1877-1953), a prolific Christian hymn writer and poet. Who goes there, in the night,
Across the storm-swept plain?
We are the ghosts of a valiant war —
A million murdered men!
Who goes there, at the dawn,
Across the sun-swept plain?
We are the hosts of those who swear:
It shall not be again! Orange Massachusetts Peace Statue 01.jpg, Orange Massachusetts Peace Statue 03.jpg, Orange Massachusetts Peace Statue 02.jpg, Orange Massachusetts Peace Statue 04.jpg, Back Plaque on Peace Statue.jpg,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orange Peace Statue Monuments and memorials in Massachusetts 1934 sculptures Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Massachusetts Outdoor sculptures in Massachusetts Bronze sculptures in Massachusetts Statues in Massachusetts Peace monuments and memorials 1934 establishments in Massachusetts