A Marine's statue makes stop in Round Lake Beach
Because of his fondness for passing out treats, fellow Marines called Cpl. Joseph McCarthy “Willy Wonka” after the candymaker from the famous kids' book.
That image was forever preserved on Easter Sunday in 2004 as McCarthy, bent at the knees with a weapon slung over his shoulder, handed out candy to children at a roadside checkpoint in Iraq.
The photo circulated nationally and became more widespread a few months later on Sept. 6 when McCarthy and six other Marines were killed in a suicide bombing near Fallujah.
On Wednesday, a life-size bronze statue of that captured moment will be on display from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Veteran's Park in Round Lake Beach, where McCarthy grew up, en route to a permanent spot in Arizona. The park is on Cedar Lake Road and Clarendon Drive.
“It's Joe's journey home,” said Rikki LaPenta, McCarthy's aunt and a Round Lake Park resident, who is among scores of relatives in the area.
“All of the family members that I have — there's probably about 200 of us that live in Illinois — a lot of them will be coming to see it.”
McCarthy lived in the village from 1986 until 1996, when the family moved to St. Johns, Ariz. He was the kid with the perpetual smile who never seemed to have a bad day.
“Everybody around here remembers him,” LaPenta said.
The statue, created by an artist in Maryland, has been years in the making, she said. It was commissioned by his mother, Rhonda McCarthy, who established and runs a foundation in his memory dedicated to enhancing the lives of children.
The Corporal Joe McCarthy Foundation strives to enhance the lives of others through love and compassion “just like Joe did,” according to the website. The charitable focuses have been to enhance the lives of children and to establish the memorial.
“The statue took so long. She wanted his face to be just right. She wasn't going to accept anything different,” LaPenta said. She, Rhonda and another sister will continue to St. Johns, where the statue eventually will be placed as the centerpiece of the Apache County Veteran's Memorial.
Family members are transporting the statue in a flatbed truck and plan to arrive in the area Tuesday night. An escort to the park will be provided Wednesday by Round Lake Beach police and an email blast has been sent to residents.
“I think about John and I think about how they're all our children. He is one of ours from Round Lake Beach — he lived here, he went to school here,” said village Trustee Judy Armstrong. “I think it's wonderful to let his memory shine.”
McCarthy attended St. Johns High School and already was committed to the Marines. His entry was delayed by the terrorist attacks in 2001, but his boot camp class was the first to graduate after that.
He was deployed to Iraq in March 2003 on his 20th birthday. He married his high school sweetheart that September and was redeployed in March 2004. He was buried two days before his anniversary.