JAMAICA HIGH SCHOOL
WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL
Dedicated November 10, 1948
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View the names of our brave men who gave their lives in World War II.
The monument is a 10' by 5' bronze bas relief (low relief sculpture) designed by an as yet unidentified artist. The names of 188 Jamaica High School students who died in the war are displayed in verticle panels on both sides. In the bottom panel, between two stylized eagles, is inscribed: "Honor is yours who knew the path of honor."
In the semicircular panel above the head is the word "LIBERTY" between two 5-pointed narrow-ray stars.
The main figure of the sculpture is a heroic size, young, nude, male figure walking to the left, turning his torso to look back over his left shoulder. The figure holds in his right hand what appears to be a fasces resting on his right shoulder. The fasces has no ax blade. Instead of the traditional elm or maple whips this fasces is made from spear shaped leaves which have a center ridge.
The fasces is an ancient symbol of authority and power from Roman times. Here is a picture of a Roman lictor carrying a fasces. The elm whips could be removed from the bundle and used to punish, the ax could be used to execute.
Up until World War II the fasces symbol was widely applied in American political iconography and appears twice on the Lincoln Memorial and twice in the House of Representatives
