Combat photographer statue unveiled at Manchester's Veterans Memorial Park

Paul Feely, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·2 min read

May 24—MANCHESTER — If a picture is worth a thousand words, what about a statue honoring the brave men and women charged with capturing combat images as the chaos of war rages around them?

For Specialist 4 George "Josh" Denoncourt II, a U.S. Army combat photographer, and his family the answer is simple:

Priceless.

Combat photographers "are witnesses to history," Denoncourt, 76, said Friday at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony in Manchester for the latest addition to Veterans Memorial Park — a statue honoring combat photographers. The statue was paid for in full and donated by Denoncourt's family in honor of their father and all veterans — just in time for Memorial Day.

Last year, the city's Parks, Recreation and Cemetery Division and the office of former mayor Joyce Craig were approached by Denoncourt, who has the backing of the Broadside Philanthropic Foundation.

The statue is by artist Matt Glenn, whose body of work can be viewed on the website bigstatues.com.

Denoncourt and legal counsel for the foundation agreed to cover the cost of installation, provide for landscaping around the statue and establish a trust in the amount of $100,000 for long-term maintenance.

Denoncourt has taken several well-known combat photos, including one of an infantry officer handing out treats to children in Lai Khe, north of Saigon, during the Vietnam War that was included in a book on historic combat images.

Mark Gomez, chief of Parks, Recreation and Cemetery, said when he was first approached by Denoncourt about the possibility of bringing the statue to Manchester at no cost to taxpayers, he "was a little bit skeptical."

"When he talked about providing a large endowment for the care of the statue, that's when I got really interested," Gomez said. "I was looking at my emails this morning from that time and I sent an email to my staff that said, 'I think this guy is legit.' Mr. Denoncourt and his team have been terrific to work with."

Denoncourt said he has no direct connection to Manchester, calling himself only a "Merrimack Valley native."

He chose the Queen City to erect such a statue because of the beauty of Veterans Memorial Park itself.

"This is the first statue of a combat photographer out in a public place," Denoncourt said. "It makes sense (to put it here)."

The statue is approximately 5 feet tall and weighs 700 pounds. Landscaping around the statue will eventually include a decorative fence and flowers.

Kate Waldo, the city's park projects manager, said that though the exact cost of the statue isn't known, the city has insured the structure for $500,000 — with the tab being picked up by the endowment.