World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial

The World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial is a war memorial in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield with a large white globe made of stainless steel and small buttons marking locations of major World War II battles. The memorial also includes granite walls with inscriptions.

The memorial was built to honor about 987,000 Illinois residents who served during World War II. Roughly 22,000 of those who served died during the war.

The inscriptions on the granite walls come from figures who shaped World War II, and they offer visitors a personal connection to that period. They help many feel linked to the past.

The memorial has space for about 3,700 commemorative bricks where families can engrave names, ranks, and service dates of veterans. The location is easily accessible and visitors can walk directly to the memorial.

A special project has collected digital stories from nearly 1,000 veterans and submitted 400 of them to the Library of Congress. These personal accounts preserve memories from those who fought back then.

Location: Illinois

GPS coordinates: 39.81968,-89.66162

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:00