The Finnish heritage is woven tightly into our community yet today thanks to these determined, resourceful men and women. Above the monument you will see the Finnish Flag proudly waving in their memory.

A time capsule was placed in the park in 1884 during the City’s Centennial Celebration, containing a collection of historical and time-sensitive memorabilia to be opened and revisited every 25 years.

Finally, the Veteran’s memorial honoring those who have served and sacrificed for their country, serving in the United States Military.

Especially poignant is the story of Anton Cichy. Twenty-seven year old Tony Cichy was working in for the family well digging company when in April 1941, he was drafted into the Army. After finishing basic training Tony was sent to the Philippines as part of the 194th Tank Battalion. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they also attacked the Philippines.


“I didn’t have a very good time,” recalled Cichy. “We had no training, outdated weapons, I didn’t even fire a gun until I was in battle.”

Cutting off their supply lines, the Japanese drove American and Philippine troops to Bataan with no escape route. After being besieged for month the exhausted and starving soldiers had no choice but to surrender.

As prisoners the soldiers were forced to walk about 70 miles in tropical heat to Camp O’ Donnell, an American base that had fallen to the Japanese. Not allowed to drink, the march took its toll.

“You could see guys drop out, but they wouldn’t leave any behind alive. They would just shove a bayonet into them.”

While Tony survived the infamous Bataan Death March what followed was three years of unimaginable hell as a Japanese prison of war.

In October 1944, the Japanese left the Philippines. Tony and 1,800 POWs were crammed into an unmarked freighter bound for Japan.

“We spent 14 days on that ship. They had bamboo shelves two feet apart. The guys above you would have diarrhea and it would run through the slats onto you.”

While at sea an American submarine torpedoed the freighter. Six survived including Tony. After three days adrift they were picked up by a Chinese fishing boat and eventually back to the United States.

After the war Tony married, had a family and ran the family well digging business. His sufferings was a POW stayed with him, including suffering from anemic dysentery for nearly 20 years.
Tony Cichy died in October 2009 at the age of 92.