In a hot summer day, Tyler and I decided to take some good photos for our Omaha Beach Collection watches at the World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial, less than ten minutes away from our office.

The Memorial was built to honor the 987,000 Illinois men and women who served our country during World War II. More than 22,000 Illinois citizens gave their lives in pursuit of liberty. The Memorial’s design highlight is a white 22-ton concrete globe 12 feet in diameter which represents the world in conflict during World War II. It is surrounded by black granite walls engraved with the names and dates of key battles of the Pacific and European theaters of war.

The Memorial was officially dedicated on December 4, 2004. It is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery 1441 Monument Ave., Springfield, Illinois, near the Korean and Vietnam Veterans Memorials a short distance from Abraham Lincoln’s tomb. The Memorial attracts many tourists from other states and countries.