By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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LOVES PARK — A partnership between the city of Loves Park and the Rockford Park District will create easier access to the Tri-County Korean War Memorial, a place of peace for the aging veterans of the war and their families.
The city received a $55,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to help pay for the construction of the lot, which will cost about $110,000 in total.
“This is the least we can do for local Korean War veterans to thank them for their service, and to make it simple for them and others to gather and remember,” Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury said in a news release.
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The memorial is located on City Hall grounds at 100 Heart Blvd.
The park district will oversee the bidding, contracts and permitting for the parking lot. Construction is expected to finish next spring, depending on weather and the availability of supplies.
“One of the perks of this job is that I get to bring resources here to help the people of the Stateline. There is no group more deserving than those that risked their lives for our freedom,” state Rep. Dave Vella, who helped secure the state funding, said in a news release. “This parking lot will help our Korean War veterans get to their monument in a fast and safe way. I am proud to have worked with Loves Park and the Rockford Park District to get this done.”
The Tri-County Korean War Memorial was built thanks to the Greater Rockford Area Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 272, which raised funds to build the memorial in 2008 and created an endowment to maintain it.
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“We recently shared information about this improvement with a small group of local veterans who served and sacrificed for their country so that we can all live and prosper. Many expressed how much this place means to them, but with declining mobility, better access was an immediate need,” Rockford Park District Executive Director Jay Sandine said in a news release. “We are proud and thankful for the many veterans who work for the park district and for the many veterans who we partner with and support throughout the community. This is a small way we can honor and thank the men and women who served so that we can enjoy life.”
The district said it is also working with Midway Village Museum to improve the LZ Peace Memorial, which is a tribute to soldiers in Winnebago County who died in Vietnam.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.