The Mount Prospect Historical Society is collaborating with American Legion Post 525 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1337, as well as the Mount Prospect Public Library and the Mt. Prospect Park District, on a project to establish a memorial for Mount Prospect residents who were killed while in service to their country.
The project will involve identifying service members and then finding obituaries and other biographical information. Leading the project for the American Legion/VFW is Loren Helwink, a Mount Prospect resident.
To kick off the project, the Mt. Prospect Parks Foundation has donated $3,000 to the memorial. Once the material has been gathered, an appropriate memorial will be chosen and unveiled on Memorial Day. The memorial is adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Band Shell in Lions Memorial Park. It has been designed as a tranquil, contemplative setting featuring a fountain and columns for engraved bricks. A limited number of bricks are also available for purchase. To purchase a brick through the Mt. Prospect Park District, visit www.mppd.org.
Please contact the Mount Prospect Historical Society via info@mtphist.org if you have information about a Mount Prospect service member who was killed in action.
The VFW Post 1337 is reserved for veterans who have received a campaign medal for overseas service; have served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea; or have ever received hostile fire or imminent danger pay. They meet monthly at Arlington Legion Post 208, 121 N. Douglas, Arlington Heights.
American Legion Post 525, founded in 1930 by 16 World War I veterans, provides service to veterans, the community and nation. It is open to any former service member whether they experienced hostile fire or not. Meetings are held monthly at Arlington Legion Post 208 in Arlington Heights.