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Illinois State Memorials
Oak Ridge Cemetery, 1500 Monument Avenue, Springfield
Open:
7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. September through March
7 a.m. - 8 p.m. April through August
NOTE ANDROID USERS ONLY: The donation payment processing function in the Illinois History mobile application for Android devices is currently down. Donations are still being processed through the web site at https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites.html.We apologize for the inconvenience.
Teachers in Illinois schools (grades prekindergarten through 12) can apply for grant funds to visit this site on a field trip with their students. Click here for the details.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1988, honors the almost 3,000 Illinoisans killed or listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War.
The center of the Memorial is an eternal flame supported by five vertical gray granite walls, each representing a branch of the armed services. Radiating from the vertical walls are five polished black granite horizontal walls, enclosed by a low circular wall forming five courtyards. The names of the dead and missing in action are carved into the black granite.
The “Vietnam Veterans Vigil and Memorial Service” is held on the first full weekend in May, with a Memorial Day observance later in the month. A “Christmas Remembrance” is observed on the first Saturday in December.
Purple Heart Memorial
The Illinois Purple Heart Memorial honors recipients of the Purple Heart killed or wounded from all wars the United States has participated in.
The center of the Memorial includes an eight-foot piece of black granite with an engraving of a Purple Heart on it. The other side of the stone features a quote from William Shakespeare’s Henry V:, “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.” Two smaller black granite stones to the left and right of the centerpiece of the Memorial feature the engravings of four soldiers.
Dedicated in 2016, the Memorial stands between the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial and World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial.
World War II Memorial
This memorial honors the 987,000 Illinois men and women who served in World War II and the 22,000 who gave their lives. Its focal point is a white 22-ton concrete world globe flanked on two sides by black granite walls.
Stainless steel buttons on the globe identify major battles, and quotations from military leaders and Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman are engraved on the walls.
Korean War Memorial
The Korean War State Memorial, honoring 1,748 Illinoisans killed during the 1950-1953 Korean War, was dedicated on June 16, 1996.
The Memorial consists of a twelve-foot-tall bronze bell, with a diameter of twelve feet, mounted on a granite base. At the circumference of the bell are four niches, each with a larger-than-life figure representing a branch of the armed services. Inscribed on the base are the names of Illinoisans killed in Korea. A carillon system in the Memorial plays brief musical programs at regular intervals.
A nearby building houses the carillon controls and lighting systems. The large surrounding lawn provides space for special events. The Memorial is provided with parking facilities for forty-eight vehicles.
