Itasca honors World War II vets with traveling memorial
There’s an old guy down the street who doesn’t get out much anymore. But each morning, he wakes to raise the American flag on the pole outside his home.
Maybe it’s a great uncle. A cousin. A neighbor who fought for our country in World War II.
The Itasca Lions Club knows about such veterans and wants residents to seek them out and bring them to see the traveling World War II Memorial model that’s stopping in Itasca as part of the annual Itasca Fest.
“We want to pull people’s heartstrings a little bit to take care of these guys who took care of us,” said Tom Kryger, president of the Itasca Lions Club. “These guys are dying off so fast, we have to make sure they know how we feel about them.”
A two-hour ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 8, at the Itasca Park District Building, 350 E. Irving Park Road, and include a presentation of the colors, live patriotic musical performances, a historical presentation about the memorial, guest speakers, and members of the military, as well as many veterans.
The memorial is provided by Pillars of Honor, a Des Plaines-based not-for-profit organization that transports the 800-pound model of the original memorial in Washington, D.C., designed by architect Frederick St. Florian, to local events.
Pillars of Honor began with the hope that World War II vets who haven’t seen the memorial in real life would have an opportunity to do so locally.
The model is currently on loan from the architect and may eventually go to the Smithsonian.
These veterans fought and died for us, and we need to honor them now while we have the chance, Kryger said.
“These guys are so special. Everybody should learn from them,” he said.
There’s fewer than 3 million World War II veterans left in the world, Kryger said, and they’re dying at a rate of 1,200 a day.
Many of them are not able to travel to Washington, D.C., to see the full-size memorial.
“We’re hoping to get everybody to grab their neighbors or anybody they know and come to Itasca Fest and get a history of the war memorial, and let vets see that we appreciate everything they did for us,” he said.
A reception with refreshments follows the ceremony.
World War II veterans are encouraged to register with Pillars of Honor so name tags can be made. They’ll also receive a gift at the ceremony.
The display will then close until Itasca Fest kicks off later in the week with viewing hours from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 12-13, and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 14.
For more information about the wall, visit pillarsofhonor.org.