ooThe
Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated May 7, 1988. A majestic,
polished stone monument, 58 feet in diameter, it includes five black granite
walls which create five interior courtyards. Each of the five military services
has its own courtyard, identified by its insignia etched on a 15 feet high
gray granite wall at the center of the circle. An eternal flame burns at the
top of the gray granite walls where each courtyard merges.
ooThe five sloping
black granite walls are engraved with the names of 3,009
Illinois servicemen who died or who are missing in the Vietnam
War. The names of 68 Illinois veterans still
unaccounted for from
Southeast
Asia are engraved on the appropriate
gray center wall, along with names of the recipients of the Congressional
Medal of Honor.
ooThe memorial's circular
shape is symbolic of unity — there is no front, back, or sides, and
each service branch has equal recognition. Visitors may enter from any direction,
just as Illinois' Vietnam veterans came from all directions of the state.
ooEach of five
short, outer black granite walls is engraved: To Those Who Died, Honor And
Eternal Rest; To Those Still In Bondage, Remembrance And Hope; To Those Who
Returned, Gratitude And Peace.
