This is the letter that got sent to Edwin Sykora notifying him that he was drafted.

Following the conclusion of World War I it was difficult for the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company to acquire contracts for the construction of new ships. To keep the shops busy and thousands of workers employed, the company made modifications to their shops to allow for locomotive and car repair. Charles West was a true business leader and approached railroad companies to gauge the potential acquisition of this new business line. A number of Chicago-based rail lines and lumber companies in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota were on board. With this new business opportunity, there was enough repair of locomotives and rolling stock to keep the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company’s shops and employees busy for three years.

Attorney E. G. Nash also addressed the crowd and said " We have met today to formally dedicate this monument, and it is peculiarly appropriate that these ceremonies are held on the fifth anniversary of the termination of the most terrible and disastrous war in the history of the world.”

He went on to say, “This memorial is presented in the belief that it will forever stand as a sentinel to remind us that our county never in vain called our countrymen to defend our flag.”

According to the book “Manitowoc County Historical Markers and Memorials”, during World War I, Manitowoc County had more than 2,300 men in the service.  By the end of the war, 32 men were killed in action, 55 died of other causes, and more than 100 were wounded. 

We owe our freedoms to the sacrifice made by our nation's veterans.  Thank you to all who served our country and to those who continue to defend our freedom today.