The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club, in conjunction with the Village of Oswego, will bring the Middle East Conflicts Wall of Honor to Oswego Friday, May 22, through Friday, May 31. Oswego Honors Veterans will pay tribute to and remember the sacrifices of all those who served. It will mark the debut of the Middle East Conflicts Traveling Wall of Honor in Illinois and organizers are proud that the Village of Oswego will be host to this beautiful tribute to our young Fallen.
“Oswego is privileged and honored to host the Middle East Conflicts Wall of Honor,” said Village president Troy Parlier. “The 7,200 names on the Wall remind us of the high price that has been paid for the freedoms we enjoy. Oswego is a community that is very grateful for the service our veterans have provided and honor the many brave service men and women that gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
The Middle East Wall is in Marseilles adjacent to the Illinois River
The Wall of Honor represents our fallen heroes from 2001 through 2018. Faces of the Fallen is a visual tribute to each serviceman or servicewoman killed in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as of February 2017, and it includes servicemen and servicewomen killed in action during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. William Sutton, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, who served during Operation Enduring Freedom from 2007 to 2013, said, “I am excited for this wall due to 25 of my Marines being on the Wall of Honor. It feels as if we are all back together.” For further information on the Wall of Honor, visit Vets Helping Vets HQ’s website: vetshelpingvetshq.com.
Viewing the Wall of Honor is an emotional experience for many and reminds us that the price of freedom is not free. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy today. The Wall of Honor will be on display for the public, free of charge, 24 hours a day, at Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, Oswego, with an opening ceremony planned for Saturday, May 23. A closing ceremony and other events honoring veterans will be held throughout the week including Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. Organizers called Oswego Honors Veterans Oswego’s first time to show honor and respect to our young veterans.
“It is indeed an honor to be working with the Wall of Honor Committee to bring this beautiful Wall to Oswego, Illinois,” said committee chairman Herschel Luckinbill. “Iraq Veteran Jerimy Weatherly brought this project to our attention in early 2019 and we have been working to make this event happen. Having worked with the Vietnam Moving Wall on two occasions, I know what this means to the veterans of this area and the community as a whole.”
Further details will be forthcoming when events, dates, and times are confirmed.
— Lisa Garcia