Lake County Veterans Memorial Project

A group of Lake County res­idents have been working to create a Veterans Memorial to honor area veterans, past and present. The stated purpose of this memorial is to “remember and Honor all the Lake Coun­ty military veterans who have served our country, and the families who have support­ed them throughout the years. Currently there are over 1,000 veterans living in Lake and Cook Counties, with the ma­jority of that number residing here in Lake County. These service veterans and their fam­ilies add to the foundation of this place we call home.”

Members of the Lake Coun­ty Veterans Memorial Asso­ciation have been at work for over a year to design and raise funds for the memorial. The plan is to eventually locate the memorial in Van Hoven Park as a central part of the water­front redevelopment plan.

A statement on the Memori­al Association’s website reads, “This proposed memorial aims to serve as a place of reflec­tion, remembrance, and grat­itude for the men and women who have bravely defended our freedoms. Designed to be inclusive and accessible to all, the memorial will feature ele­ments that pay tribute to vet­erans from all branches of the military. Our vision is to create a space that not only commem­orates the past but also edu­cates and inspires future gener­ations about the importance of service and sacrifice. Through this project, we seek to unite our community in honoring our veterans and ensuring that their contributions are never forgotten.”

It is well worth spending some time perusing the Vet­erans Memorial Association website. There, one can learn more about the project and can see architectural renderings of the proposed memorial. There are options that allow for res­idents to buy a 9” by 3”, or 9” by 6” commemorative bronze plaque with a service mem­ber’s name on it. Additional opportunities exist for inter­ested folks to contribute to the various service branch monu­ments that will be displayed as part of the Memorial.

The Lake County Veterans Memorial Project website is available at https://www.lcvm.net.

Let’s honor our area veterans and their families!