Healing field planned for Carpentersville park

There won't be any cycling tracks or rock bands playing in Carpenter Park over the Memorial Day weekend. Instead, thousands of U.S. flags will fly in the "Healing Field - a Welcome Home Tribute to Our Vietnam Veterans."

The Patriot Committee of Dundee Township is organizing a healing field that will honor the 1,748 veterans determined missing in action or prisoners of war. The field will also serve to amend the second-rate treatment of veterans returning from Vietnam, said Jerry Christopherson, chairman of the committee.

"The way troops are treated now when they return is a far cry from how Vietnam veterans were treated," Christopherson said. "They were spit on and treated terribly. Guys don't forget that and we want to make sure that never happens again."

The Healing Field Foundation was founded in 2002 as a way to commemorate the thousands of lives lost during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Since then, hundreds of communities across the country have hosted a Healing Field or a Field of Honor to raise money and awareness for causes from child abuse to cancer.

A Veterans Day event at Rotary Hill in Naperville last year drew hundreds of people to pay tribute to members of the military.

Flags for the Carpentersville Healing Field are on sale for $40 each and will display an oversized dog tag that includes the person's name, rank and branch of service. Individuals may also dedicate the flag to a past or current member of the military. Proceeds from the flag sales will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township.

The flags will be set up in rows and will be on display at Carpenter Park from Thursday, May 27, to Monday, May 31.

"We are recognizing what the veterans did during the Vietnam War," Village President Ed Ritter said. "This is also helping in the healing from the war. There was a lot of hurt misdirected at the soldiers. A lot of veterans were never welcomed back after their years of service."

Flags may be purchased by calling Christopherson at (630) 730-0558, or by sending a check for $40 to the Dundee Patriot Committee at P.O. Box 914, Carpentersville, IL 60110.