For Eagle Scout candidate Cody Turner of Butler, restoring Doughboy Park was a simple decision.

"Over the years, the park has started to need some work. I thought the soldiers who fought for our freedom deserve our continued respect," Turner said.

Turner's grandfather, Samuel Turner, is a World War II veteran and his great-grandfather, Roy McKissick, fought in World War I. McKissick is one of more than 150 soldiers honored on the plaques at Doughboy Park, a memorial for WW I veterans from the National Guard of Pennsylvania's 28th Division, Company L, 112th U.S. Infantry.

The unit was mobilized July 15, 1917, and discharged May 17, 1919. More than 50 of the soldiers were wounded or killed in action while fighting across France, including Champagne-Marne and Meuse-Argonne. The memorial was dedicated in November 1926.

As part of Turner's project to become an Eagle Scout, the 17-year-old Life Scout from Troop 29 has undertaken vast improvements to the park at New Castle and Cunningham streets. They include replacing the flagpole, scouring the memorial plaques, cleaning the statue and restoring the cannon.

The plaques, statue base and 6-foot statue, which depicts a soldier standing with his Springfield rifle, already have been scrubbed clean. Turner contracted Clair Boring, Painting and Services of Butler to do the cleaning.

Turner has contacted Ryan Stauffer, who teaches blacksmithing at Butler County Community College's Heritage School, to restore the cannon, which poses the project's greatest challenge. The Heritage School is a part of BC3's Succop Conservancy.

The cannon needs to be sanded and cleaned, then possibly lifted to remove its two iron-bound, wooden wheels for restoration or replacement. A wooden wheel restorer in Lancaster has estimated the work will cost about $760 per wheel, said Dave Leslie of Butler.

Leslie heard about Turner's project at a meeting of VFW Post 249 in Butler and wanted to help. He is a combat veteran of the Vietnam and Gulf wars.

"It's an Eagle Scout's project, a community project, a veterans' project and now, possibly, a Conservancy project," Leslie said.

The simplest part of the project will be the flagpole. Initially Turner planned to sand and repaint the original flagpole and replace its rope and pulley. But a new pole has been donated by the Woodmen of the World Lodge 8. The nonprofit benefit society is based in Omaha, Neb., but has a field representative and area manager headquartered in Butler.

The Woodmen also have a youth lodge, 787, in Butler.

"The city is going to kick in with the labor to erect the flagpole," Leslie said.

Councilwoman Kathy Kline is also working to have electricity restored in the park for lighting. A flag no longer flies on the pole because it cannot be displayed from dusk to dawn unless lit.

Turner said money he has raised through odd jobs and the money donated by four Butler businesses — Battery Warehouse, Heasley Nurseries, Peter's Chocolate Shoppe and Sehman's Tire Service — for the flagpole replacement will now be allocated toward the cannon restoration.

"We'll be asking the community for donations to complete the project," Turner said.

His scouting experience began at age 8 in the Cub Scouts.

Through the past decade Turner, the son of Lorrie and Sammy Turner, has earned 21 merit badges, gone on camping trips and participated in numerous community service projects.

But he said the most rewarding part of that decade has been "working hard enough to get my Eagle Award."

In keeping with that ethic, Turner will return to the park Aug. 16 to repaint the curbs and replant flowers around the statue base, not a part of his original project, just something he deemed necessary.

He is a Pennsylvania Cyber School student and plans to graduate in 2009 before studying heavy equipment mechanics in college or a trade school.

Turner's older brother, Travis, already has earned his Eagle Award.

The park will be rededicated in a ceremony attended by a military color guard at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11.

Anyone interested in donating to the restoration of Doughboy Park should call Cody Turner at 724-285-3682.