HUNTLEY – With the help of modern technology, the soon-to-be-unveiled Huntley Veterans Memorial will be both actual and virtual.
Plans call for the actual, physical granite memorial to be installed this month on a concrete pad in the newly landscaped Huntley town square on Main Street. As this was written in May, the Huntley Veterans Foundation leaders were uncertain about the actual installation date.
“It should take less than one day to do that, once the granite slabs are delivered,” said Penny Warner, foundation treasurer.
The memorial will be dedicated in a special ceremony at the square at 12 p.m. on Saturday, July 2. The ceremony will feature a flag raising ceremony, recognition of Gold Star fallen heroes, and a message by Major Leonard Williams of the Army National Guard. Officials of the Village of Huntley, who donated the memorial site to the Foundation, also are expected to attend.
The monument will provide a vivid black contrast to the square’s greenery and flowerbeds. Facing Main and Church Streets at the eastern end of the square, the memorial will consist of six connected, eight-foot-high slabs recognizing each branch of the armed services, along with a flag for each branch, a smaller Gold Star monument, a POW and Purple Heart bench, and a 20-foot-high American flag pole.
“Nearly $125,000 has been raised to make this memorial for our local heroes a reality,” said Dawn Ellison, foundation president. “It’s important that we remember those who have served, and are still serving, to protect our freedom and way of life.”
Warner agrees.
“This project has taken almost two years to complete, from concept to today,” she said. “We are excited to see it all come together now.”
Regarding the virtual version, local veterans are encouraged by the foundation to include their name on the virtual monument b y visiting www.huntleyveterans.org to submit their service information. The online listing will be continually updated to include new veterans as time passes, making this a perpetual monument for the entire community as Huntley continues to grow. More than 800 names have already been collected, along with branch, rank, and service years.
In the last two years, the foundation has been spreading the news about this project among community organizations, and at events like the farmer’s market, local veterans recognition events, Huntley Fall Fest, and the Huntley Expo.
“There has been a great amount of community support for this project, and we’re very excited to see everything coming together,” Ellison said.
