Jan. 24--The group that oversees the state's historic sites wants public input before creating guidelines for any future state war memorials in Springfield, including one in the works for Purple Heart recipients.
At Oak Ridge Cemetery, where Abraham Lincoln is buried, there are memorials already dedicated to World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The memorials are on a 5-acre site that includes open space and are part of the 365-acre, city-owned cemetery also home to Lincoln's Tomb.
Later this year, a memorial honoring veterans of any war who have received the Purple Heart -- a decoration awarded to those wounded or killed in action -- will be constructed. Before that, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency wants to create a policy that would guide where future memorials like the Purple Heart monument should be placed, and what types of memorials are appropriate, said agency spokesman Christopher Wills.
"There is a finite amount of space," Wills said, explaining that the policy would help avoid any clutter on the memorial site, which is designed to have open space as part of the visitor experience.
The preservation agency board is planning a meeting at noon Saturday at its Springfield headquarters, 313 S. Sixth St., where the public can share their ideas, Wills said. Board trustees will use that input, as well as recommendations from a design firm, before drafting a policy, likely to be put in place in June.
Although there has been talk of other possible memorials, the Purple Heart structure is the only formally proposed addition to the site and has already been approved by the agency's board, he added. Typically, a veterans group will propose a memorial, raise money for it and come up with a design, Wills said. The agency then oversees the memorial.
The proposed Purple Heart memorial is smaller than the three existing memorials, which include structures on 1 or 2 acres of land, Wills said. The design consists of an 8-foot-by-4-foot structure with steps that lead to a black granite, rectangular slab, said Bob Cowles, trustee and past commander of the Springfield chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the group spearheading the memorial efforts.
Cowles said he suggested the idea of a Purple Heart memorial in Springfield about four years ago, and the group has raised most of the $40,000 to pay for it. Construction is expected this spring in time for a dedication ceremony either on Purple Heart Day (Aug. 7), or in November for Veterans Day, he said.
Cowles, who said he's a Vietnam War veteran, added that the memorial is for all of those wounded at war, but especially those with more serious injuries.
The policy, once approved by the agency board, will influence where to place the Purple Heart memorial, Wills said. Cowles said he hopes it will be centrally located between the other memorials.
As a "stakeholder" for any future memorials, Cowles also said his group is supportive of the upcoming policy.
"I, like other people, don't want to see the area cluttered," he said.
Cowles' group is still taking donations. Any money collected that is beyond what the group needs will be donated to veterans groups, he said. Donations may be sent to Purple Heart Memorial @ Athens State Bank, 6530 N. State Route 29, Springfield, IL 62707.
kthayer@tribpub.com
