The field where Sgt. Paul Dumont Jr. played soccer as a child will soon memorialize his ultimate sacrifice to the nation.
In November, a new turf field will be installed at the Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex in honor of Dumont, who lost his life Aug. 19, 2009 at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.
A Jamestown High School graduate who served with the U.S. Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Dumont died in a non-combat related incident, leaving behind a wife, his parents and six siblings.
Within a year, his grieving family knew they wanted to do something to recognize Dumont’s service and his connection to the community.
“More than anything, you don’t want someone you love so much to be forgotten,” said his sister, Jessica Dumont-Oatman.
They began a fundraising campaign, collecting donations, holding benefit events and selling clothing and accessories emblazoned with “Support Our Troops” on the front and “Honor the Fallen” on the back.
Initially, the family turned its attention to construction of a playground at Freedom Park, a tribute to Dumont’s outdoorsy and playful spirit, but shifts in management from the county side held up the process.
Dumont-Oatman gave birth to her daughter nine days after her brother died. The girl celebrated her fifth birthday this year, and time was running out for her to enjoy the playground in honor of the uncle she would never meet.
“We just knew that we wanted something for him, so we started looking at other avenues, and the WISC was one of our biggest supporters,” Dumont-Oatman said. The complex had helped to raise awareness as well as made a financial contribution to the cause.
The relationship with WISC stretched back to Dumont’s childhood. He was passionate about soccer and played along with his siblings at the center. His wife, Candice, was working at the front desk at the time of his death.
Now, the next generation of Dumonts play at WISC, and Dumont’s brother teaches classes for homeschool students.
Dumont-Oatman also wanted to be sure the space would be a well-maintained, accessible addition to the area. She trusted that to WISC, and approached the staff about using the funds they had raised — $50,000 — to an endeavor there.
Chris Scrofani, WISC’s vice president and general manager, was well-acquainted with the family. Dumont’s death hit close to home, and Scrofani was ready to help keep the athlete’s memory alive.
“We were obviously honored about the opportunity to do that and thought, ‘What is one of the first things you see when you walk into this facility?’ It’s the turf,” he said.
At 14 years old, the turf was due for replacement soon, and the Dumont’s $50,000 covered most of the costs.
The new turf will arrive the weekend of Nov. 15, with a three-day installation process. Then it will carry Dumont’s name for indoor soccer, field hockey, flag football, lacrosse, before- and after-school care programs, preschool groups and homeschool classes.
In addition to a banner next to the scoreboard, there will be a small memorial near the field’s entrance with the story of Dumont’s life and pictures of him as an athlete and service member.
“That’s probably the greatest feeling, to know that somewhere everyday someone is going to be reading about who my brother was,” Dumont-Oatman said.
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