The monument was relocated and rededicated to honor all Illinoisans lost in that war.(PHOTO:Dave Dahl) 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD– There’s one more thing to see in Springfield. A World War I monument now stands among the other war memorials, not far from Lincoln’s Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

The monument was built about fifteen years ago to honor Sangamon County’s dead from the Great War and located not far from the cemetery. Now that it’s on Oak Ridge grounds, it’s been modified to honor all Illinoisans who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Honoring veterans is important, says Katie Spindell, a member of Oak Ridge’s board of managers, “Without them, and without every living veteran, and without every veteran who has given their life in service of their country, we would not be so very privileged to live in this extraordinary country called the United States of America.”

Keynote speaker Col. Mark Alessia of the Illinois National Guard said, “It occurs to me that these monuments are not for our fallen heroes, but, rather, for the living.”