Wauconda unveils Heroes of Freedom Memorial
Hundreds of people, including many military veterans, filled Main Street in Wauconda on Friday morning for the dedication of the village's new Heroes of Freedom Memorial.
They came to hear speeches from Mayor Frank Bart and other dignitaries, including a survivor of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon and a New York firefighter who responded to lower Manhattan as the twin towers collapsed that terrible day.
They also came to see the memorial itself, which features a 7.5-ton steel beam that was salvaged from one of the fallen World Trade Center towers. It has been affixed to a pentagonal base and stretches more than 20 feet into the air, high above the rest of the memorial.
Bart, a combat veteran who wore his dress U.S. Army uniform to the gathering, spoke eloquently about the relic.
"The column before you fell 14 years ago today," Bart told the crowd. "And now it stands tall as a symbol of strength ... and love."
The memorial also includes a black wall that will bear the names of the people killed on 9/11, as well as printed stories about the attacks and the subsequent war on terror. Some of the elements on display Friday were temporary because final versions haven't been completed.
Although built on village-owned land just south of Route 176, the memorial was organized by volunteers and entirely funded with private donations.
Recently retired Wauconda Fire District Chief Dave Dato served on the volunteer committee and spoke Friday about the importance of remembering 9/11.
"Many people ask, 'Does it still matter?' You're damn right it still matters," Dato said. "(It) should matter for generations to come."
Former Gurnee Trustee Kirk Morris brought the memorial concept to Wauconda. He was inspired by the 2004 combat death of his son, Marine Pfc. Geoffrey Morris.
On Friday, Morris called the memorial a place for "remembrance, repose and reflection."
New York City firefighter Scott Specht spoke about how his life likely was saved on 9/11 by a woman who paid for gasoline in front of him that morning with nickels and dimes and thus delayed his arrival at the World Trade Center.
"We remember it like it was yesterday," Specht said of the disaster.
The ceremony featured several musical performances.
The Wauconda High School band played "God Bless the USA," and later the school choir sang "God Bless America."
Toward the end of the event, the Northern Illinois Pipe and Drums group played "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes. It was the second time this week the solemn song was played publicly in Lake County.
On Monday, pipers performed "Amazing Grace" after the funeral of Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, who was gunned down last week.
Wauconda resident Susan Killian attended the ceremony and called the memorial "wonderful."
"The time after 9/11 was such a wonderful time in that it seemed everybody loved everybody," Killian said. "I really do hope that it makes people stop and think."