Red coats or not, toy soldiers help East Dundee salute nation’s 250th anniversary

Tiny soldiers, illuminated at night, line one side of East Dundee’s downtown park, a fitting tribute to the Revolutionary War in which America’s 13 colonies won their freedom from the British.

Saturday marks the 250th anniversary of the action that triggered that war: the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

There’s just one small problem with the Dundee Township Lions Club display. The 125 plastic figurines are dressed in red coats — the same color uniform donned by the British soldiers sent by King George III to keep the American upstarts under the shackles of English rule.

Cathy and Bob Sample, who donated their Christmas decorations to the display, aren’t oblivious to the irony of saluting the country’s freedom this Fourth of July with a symbol representing the opposing side.

“Although it does seem funny, perhaps awkward, that our soldier display features soldiers with red coats, there was nothing funny about our country gaining its independence from the redcoats,” Cathy Sample said. “That is why we are able to celebrate our 250 years of independence today with great pride.”

Sure, they could have created a display with the red-coated soldiers splayed on their backs around the park grounds, she joked, “but I’m not sure what the curb appeal would be.”

Their soldiers are not only part of a Christmas display, “they’re a tribute to the Dundee Scots Marching Band,” Bob Sample said. “The primary color of their uniforms, other than black, was red.”

“It’s a Dundee thing,” he said. “I hope some people who were in the Dundee Scots take their kids and grandkids to see them. It will remind them of a time that was really great in the Dundee area.”

The Samples’ collection of 182 toy soldiers and seven honor guards started with just two in 1978 when they set up their holiday lawn decorations for the first time in front of their new West Dundee home.

“This was the year that we moved into the house that we purchased from Doyle and Judy Heffron,” Bob Sample said.

Doyle Heffron taught music at Dundee High School, where he founded and directed the kilt-wearing, award-winning Dundee Scots Marching Band.

Bob Sample had been a band director himself, specializing in marching and choreography back in his native Southern California. When the couple moved to the Dundee area, he became involved with the high school band, helping Heffron choreograph marching and maneuvering, he said.

“It was my love for the Scots and their exceptional precision marching that was initially the inspiration for our Christmas exhibit,” he said.

The next year, the Samples added four more soldiers to their display. Ultimately, it “became a major exhibit, creating a company front, which included the Lion Rampant, the flag of Scottish royalty like one the marching band carried,” Bob Sample said.

Attaching another theme to the display, the couple added American flags and the flags of each branch of the U.S. military. “Eventually, flags depicting the police, fire and first responders were added,” he said.

Over the decades, the display took on a life of its own as people dropped off soldiers at the house, Bob Sample said. Friends purchased soldiers at garage sales and thrift stores and donated their own.

“People stopped at the house to ask if we would accept their retired soldiers and those of their neighbors,” Bob Sample said.

Eventually, they accumulated 182 and displayed them annually until last year, when a snowstorm kept them from putting them out. That drew the attention of Dundee Township Lions Club Second Vice President Gregg Schuring and other club members.

The couple would end up donating their collection to the club, who decided they’d incorporate them into East Dundee’s America250 celebration.

“As we talked about the collection, we couldn’t help but imagine how special it would be to display the soldiers at The Depot during our annual (June 14) Flag Day salute,” said Village Clerk Katherine Diehl, who’s also East Dundee’s special events manager.

In advance of that, Cathy Sample made sure the figurines had up-to-date LED lights and commercial-grade electric cords.

To provide a patriotic feel, Schuring and the Lions arranged for West Dundee VFW Post 2298 to donate small American flags for the exhibit, and Jerry Christopherson of the True Patriots Care nonprofit agreed to loan them larger flags.

The Samples helped for six hours the day the exhibit went up, providing guidance as to where each figurine should be placed.

“Their dedication and attention to detail have helped create a memorable experience,” Diehl said.

With East Dundee holding an America250 celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Diehl said it seemed fitting that the toy soldiers remain on display through Independence Day weekend.

The Lions Club plans to store the soldiers in a Carpentersville facility until they can line them up at West Dundee’s Grafelman Park for Veterans Day, Schuring said. They’ll remain there through the Christmas holidays, when the Lions hold their annual tree and wreath sale.

“We hope the current and future displays bring the community together, and remind people about the colorful history of the Dundee area,” Schuring said.

Diehl said the village is happy to be the first to work with the Lions to keep local lore alive and that residents will grant them a little license with the soldiers’ attire since it’s meant to be a larger tribute to the nation’s heritage and the spirit that defines the Dundee area.

“Everyone is invited to enjoy this unique display, particularly in the evening when the illuminated soldiers create a truly memorable and nostalgic sight,” she said. “Whether visiting during the day or after sunset, the display offers a special opportunity to celebrate our shared traditions and community.”

• Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The (Elgin) Courier-News