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Peoria County to Dedicate New Memorial

Peoria Public Radio/Kristin McHugh

Peoria County is unveiling a new memorial to honor local veterans who've died in conflicts since World War II.

The formal dedication of the "Final Salute" memorial is scheduled for Saturday in the Peoria County Courthouse Plaza. The memorial is located alongside memorials honoring World War I and II and Civil War veterans.

More than 230 names will be engraved on black granite plaques. There also are statues that represent GIs from the Vietnam and Korean wars.

County Clerk Steve Sonnemaker and a committee of veterans and non-veterans raised funds for the memorial.

The keynote speaker for Saturday's dedication will be Hal Fritz, who earned the Medal of Honor while serving in Vietnam with the U.S. Army.

 

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