NEWS INDEX Archives 2004 November

Memorial to World War II veterans to be dedicated Dec. 4 in Springfield, Illinois

Melissa Mitchell, News Editor
217-333-5491; melissa@uiuc.edu

11/24/04

Click photo to enlarge Photo courtesy Jeffery Poss Aerial view of the memorial.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Ill., has memorials dedicated to Illinois citizens who served during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Incredibly, there was no similar monument honoring the contributions of the state’s 987,000 World War II veterans.

Click photo to enlarge Photo by Kwame Ross U. of I. architecture professor Jeffery Poss, who has designed a number of similar memorials, was asked to create the memorial design by the World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial Association. The group supervised the construction of the memorial and raised $1.3 million for the project from state and federal government sources, as well as from private donors.

But that’s about to change. Five years after it was first envisioned by a determined group of veterans and others, the World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial will receive its formal dedication on Dec. 4. The dedication ceremony, scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. at the cemetery, will be followed by a public reception featuring 1940s-era music at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

The memorial – which includes a 22-ton cast white concrete globe, two black granite walls inscribed with details of battles waged in the Pacific and European theaters and quotes from wartime presidents Harry Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and a courtyard featuring bricks inscribed with names of Illinois veterans – was designed by Jeffery Poss, a professor of architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Poss, who has designed a number of other similar memorials, was asked to create the memorial design by the World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial Association. The group supervised the construction of the memorial and raised $1.3 million for the project from state and federal government sources, as well as from private donors.

Click photo to enlarge Photo by Kwame Ross East rendering of the memorial.

The memorial’s massive, 12 foot-diameter globe was designed by artist Dann Nardi of Bloomington, Ill. Isaksen Glerum & Associates, an Urbana-based architectural firm, completed the project, with assistance from U. of I. alumni Riley Glerum and Randy Tschetter.

The memorial’s genesis dates to 1999, when a group of visiting World War II veterans visited Illinois for a reunion and told their buddies they wanted to see the state’s memorial to those who served in that war. But instead of a tour, all they got was a shrug and an empty response from fellow veteran George Courdier.

“We don’t have one,” Courdier told the visitors.

Click photo to enlarge Photo courtesy Jeffery Poss Detail of the memorial.

On the heels of that incident, Courdier – a Marine whose tour of duty in the Pacific from 1943-46 included serving as personal cook for a brigadier general – put his head together with other Springfield-area veterans and devised up a plan.

“We got busy,” said Courdier, who joined forces with other members of a social group that meets informally twice a month, mostly to trade war stories. “Through one of the people instrumental with (the construction of) the Korean War Memorial, we got some pointers and help. Then we all contributed some money and got the papers to become a nonprofit organization.”

Five years later, Courdier – who serves as a Memorial Association director and has been visiting the memorial site several times a week lately to survey the crew’s
progress – said he couldn’t be more pleased with the results.
“I think it is great, and more or less what I was thinking about from the beginning. Since it was a world war, I thought it should have a globe and a wall for the Pacific and European theaters.” And that’s exactly what he got – and more.

The globe, which is illuminated from underneath and appears to float at the apex of the site, includes stainless steel markers that correspond with inscriptions on the walls that chronologically document key battles in both theaters. A courtyard between the walls provides space for at least 3,700 commemorative granite bricks, inscribed with biographical information about WWII veterans.

“My dad’s there,” said Poss, himself one of countless baby boomers nationwide who grew up listening to war stories recounted by fathers and other family members and friends. “My mother had four brothers who served. They’d fight the war over the holiday table, so it was always there.”

Poss said he believes the reason it took so long to build a memorial to the state’s World War II veterans may be because the veterans themselves didn’t perceive the need until recent years. Many of them didn’t really talk about their wartime experiences anymore, he said, “until they began to realize they needed to leave a legacy. With 2,000 of them dying per day now, it is important that we get this done.”

The cost of purchasing a commemorative brick for the courtyard is $300. Courdier said about 1,300 bricks have been purchased so far. Organizations, including a Springfield middle school, Elks Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars post, have sponsored bricks as well, and other groups may still sponsor bricks. In addition to individual and sponsored bricks, the courtyard will include ones recognizing the state’s 21 Medal of Honor recipients and three recipients of the French Legion of Honor.

Future additions to the memorial may include an information kiosk that will serve as a directory for those wishing to locate bricks dedicated to family members and friends. Also, Courdier said, veterans and family members are encouraged to submit biographical information, personal stories and photographs for inclusion on the group’s Web site.

For more information about the memorial and the dedication ceremony, visit the Web site or call (toll-free) 1-866-992-4145.