Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Oak Ridge Cemetery has a new monument: one to honor Gold Star families.
“The names on the monuments we see around us capture those who died in battle,” said mom Vonda Rodgers at Saturday’s unveiling. “But our Gold Star family community is bigger than that. We represent families who stood behind the names and families of active service members who died by accident, training, or illness.”
The Gold Star monument (pictured) features a cutout of a missing service person to represent the loss a Gold Star family endures.
There are 151 such monuments around the nation.
Oak Ridge Cemetery is the second-most visited cemetery in America, second only to Arlington National Cemetery. Oak Ridge is the home of not only Lincoln’s Tomb but also many other war memorials.
A luncheon at the Knights of Columbus hall in Springfield followed Saturday’s dedication.
