A memorial to the first Jewish soldier from Portland killed in the line of duty in World War I was re-dedicated Friday morning during a ceremony on the city's Eastern Prom.
Originally dedicated in 1935, the Jacob Cousins Memorial was installed by the Jewish War Veterans Association.
“He actually was kind of recognized as a hero,” says Deputy Portland Parks and Recreation Director Ethan Hipple. “His platoon leader was killed in October of 1918 in battle, and he assumed command of his platoon and led them through the battle, but ended up dying in the same battle.”
Hipple says the monument had, to some extent, been forgotten, as it had been placed near the road and was hard to see.
“So we completely moved it to a new location about 100 feet away from where it was,” he says. “We built a whole new plaza for it to go in, complete with 7 benches facing the water, and now it's kind of the centerpiece of this little pedestrian plaza.”
The monument honors Cousins as well as all Jewish Americans who served. A second plaque remembers Jewish soldiers from Portland killed in World War II.
