"A Call to Duty" Bronze Sculpture by Edd Hayes fine bronze sculptor
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sidebarState Capitol, Texas sculptor, Edd Hayes has recieved the honor of being named by The Texas Legislature as The Official Texas State Sculptor. The honor was bestowed, based on the scope of the artist's total work along with attention to his portrayal of the history and rich heritage of Texas. Other factors include the artists' involvement with community , civic and charitable organizations. Hayes is best known for his monumental sculpture such as "Wild and Free" at the Houston Astrodome and "The Champ" in front of The Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado. |
"A Call to Duty" Bronze Sculpture by Edd Hayes"A Call to Duty" The City of Gainesville and the Texas WWII Historical Monument Fund
The City of Gainesville and the Texas WWII Historical Monument Fund will dedicate a historical monument honoring the men of the 103d INF Div and the 847 men from that unit who sacrificed their lives to preserve our freedom. The dedication will take place on November 11, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. and be held at the Texas Department of Transportation Travel Information Center located north of Gainesville on the west side of US Hwy I-35. Brief History: Camp Howze was established on August 17, 1942 as a temporary infantry training facility. The 103d and two other infantry divisions (totaling over 90,000 soldiers) trained at Camp Howze prior to their combat action in Europe. The facility also housed 3,000 German POW’s. Camp Howze occupied approximately 58,000 acres in Cooke County and was located across the fence on the west side of the TXDOT Travel Center. The old 120 ft tall and 50 ft diameter Camp Howze concrete water tower, is currently visible about 1 mile west of the Travel Center.
The camp was declared surplus and dismantled in the fall of 1946. The land was later offered for sale. In 1998, a small group of 103d veterans, including B. Melton “Mel” Wright, Lejeune “Rabbit” Wilson, and the late Robert N. “Bob” Powers, formed a 501-(c)(3) Tax Exempt Corporation. Its purpose was to erect a monument at a prime location honoring the men of the 103d Inf Div of WWII and to preserve this vital part of history for future generations. The Travel Information Center was selected as the prime location. After seven years, State approval was acquired with the assistance of Texas State Land Commissioner, Jerry Patterson. An Interlocal Agreement between TxDOT and the City of Gainesville covers the final plans. The City has been in total support of this project and is furnishing the complete foundation.  L-R: Rabbit Wilson, Edd Hayes Cheryl Cash and Kennth Kaden. The monument now stands at the |
| © Copyright Edd Hayes All rights reserved. 1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008 | |
The buildings, with the exception of the Hospital, were single wall wood construction covered with black tar paper. Troop quarters housed a platoon of 40 men and were heated by a simple coal stove at each end of the building.