American Legion Peace Gardens

The American Legion Peace Gardens are located at the southern entrance to the Garden chain, cast of upper East Boulevard, where Rockefeller Park joins Superior Avenue. They are divided into two sections, one being devoted to the nations and the other to the United States.

The chief feature of the Garden of the Nations is a semi-circular, high-backed seat of classical de­sign, surmounted by the head of a beautiful woman, symbolizing peace, and done in Tennessee marble by Henry Herring. A bronze tablet affixed to the monument bears the inscription, “Dedicated to the Cause of Brotherhood and Peace on the occasion of International Peace Day of the 7th World’s Poultry Congress and Exposition, July 30, 1939,” in honor of the official dedication of this garden. Also upon that occasion, the soil from twenty-eight nations was deposited by ambassadors and consular representa­tives of those nations in a marble crypt at the base of the monument, and the bronze tablet now covering it is inscribed,

“September 20, 1936.

The American Legion Peace Gardens

The Nations

Here in soil from historic shrines of the Na­tions of the World, are planted trees to create the American Legion Peace Gardens. May the intermingled soil of the nations symbolize the united effort of their peoples as they advance to a better understanding. These gardens planned by men who know the horrors of war, are dedicated to the brotherhood of man and peace throughout the world.

Established by The Legion 1936 Convention Corporation of Cleveland and dedicated by Ray Murphy, National Commander, The American Legion.”

The author of the tablet was Legionnaire Glen Campbell and the sculptor was Frank L. Jirouch.

The section devoted to the United States and known as The American Legion Peace Garden of the States lies north of the Garden of Nations on the east side of the upper drive. It is marked by a stone pedestal upon which is affixed a bronze tablet similar in design and inscription to the one dedicated to the nations. It bears. the following inscrip­tion:

“September 20, 1936.

The American Legion Peace Gardens

The United States

Here in soil from historic shrines of the States of the Union, are planted trees to create The American Lesion Peace Gardens. May the in­termingled soil of the States symbolize the national unity which constitutes the strength of our great Republic. These gardens, planned by men who know the horrors of war, are dedicated to the brotherhood of man and peace throughout the world.

Established by The American Legion 1936 Convention Corporation of Cleveland and de­dicated by Ray Murphy, National Commander, The American Legion.”

In this section there is also a bust of George Washington, presented by the American Legion and unveiled on July 4, 1943. Brigadier General Robert L. Denig, U. S. M. C., delivered the principal ad­dress.

Participation of the American Legion in Cultural Gardens activity began in 1935, when the late Karl K. Kitchen, executive vice-president of the Amer­ican Legion Convention Corporation, conferred with Mrs. Jennie K. Zwick, at that time secretary of the Cultural Garden League.

The American Legion and its Auxiliaries were at that time and from the end of World War I members in an international society organized to promote? world peace and known under the coined French name of “Fidac” otherwise known as the Federatio-Interalliee des Anciens Combattants. Fidac had the following nations as members: United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium. Portugal, Italy, Rcu mania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia and Greece. Fidac was then represented by Dorothy B. Persky of the American Legion Auxiliaries of Cuya­hoga County and was arranging a meeting of all the delegates from our European Allies at the National Convention of the American Legion in September 1936, and Fidac was to take part in the dedication ceremonies of the American Legion Peace Gardens during the Convention.

Ordinances were passed by the City Council on November 18, 1935, and August 31, 1936, respec­tively, designating specific areas along Rockefeller Parkway just north of Superior Avenue, for the fu­ture American Legion Peace Gardens.

The dedication of these gardens took place on September 20, 1936, during the American Legion Convention in Cleveland. Participating in ceremo­nies were the following members of the Legion: Mayor Harold H. Burton, who accepted the new ad­dition to the Cultural Garden chain on behalf of the city; Ray Murphy, national commander, who delivered the dedicatory address; Karl K. Kitchen, executive vice-president of the Convention Corpora­tion; Father Kennedy, national chaplain; Glen Campbell, chairman of the entertainment commit­tee: Ralph Ammerman. master of ceremonies; and Jack A. Persky of the Convention Corporation. The bronze tablet to the nations was unveiled, and delegates from allied nations during the late wars placed soil from their native shrines at the foot of the monu­ment to the nations, symbolizing the united efforts of the nations for peace.

Many of the members of the American Legion who had taken part in the founding and dedication of the Peace Gardens in 1936, took an active part in planning and conducting the 7th World Poultry Con­gress which took place in Cleveland in July of 1939. At this time occurred the mass dedication of the en­tire Cultural Gardens chain, when Paul V. McNutt, past national commander of the American Legion gave the principal address.

After the establishment of the new nation of Is­rael in 1948, the late Municipal Court Judge Lewis Drucker. visited Israel for the purpose of obtaining sacred soil to be added to that of other nations in the Peace Gardens crypt. This was accomplished on October 23, 1949, when, in an impressive ceremony, the crypt was opened to accept the soil of Israel.

Karl K. Kitchen was a member of the board of trustees of the Cultural Garden League from the in­ception of the American Legion Peace Gardens in 1936 until the time of his death in 1949. He was as­sisted by Jack A. Persky, a former county command­er of the American Legion, and by Dorothy B. Persky of the American Legion Auxiliary. Jack A. Persky succeeded Mr. Kitchen as the American Legion representative in the Cultural Gardens Federation.

The American Legion which is composed of men and women of every national origin, every religion, and every degree of culture found in the United States was founded in 1919 and by its preamble the members are associated together for God and Coun­try and to carry out its many objectives they are pledged to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses, to promote peace and good will on earth and to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy. These concepts are the embodiment of the spirit and pur­pose of the Nationality Gardens in the Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation.

At the present writing, plans are being developed for the future embellishment of the American Legion Peace Gardens with tablets and monuments conse­crated to harmony among nations and to the ad­vancement of the American way of life.

Thus, the story of the Peace Gardens is the story of the American Legion’s prominent role in Cul­tural Gardens history, a role in keeping with the Le­gion’s fighting spirit in the cause of brotherhood and peace.