CANARYVILLE — During a Veterans Day ceremony at Taylor-Lauridsen Park, members of the Canaryville Veterans Association revealed a new memorial: a display case holding a battlefield cross and a U.S. flag once flown in Afghanistan.
In an emotional speech to a packed room before the memorial's dedication, John H. Kelly, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam from 1966-67, offered thanks to his fellow veterans for their service.
"We are the greatest nation on Earth, and I love and respect all of you veterans," Kelly said. "I love and respect this organization, and I love this neighborhood."
Cook County Commissioner John Daley, Ald. Patrick D. Thompson (11th), former alderman James Balcer and Cook County Judge John P. Kirby also offered praise to veterans.
When a pair of veterans revealed the memorial, the room erupted in applause.
Beginning in the Civil War, a rifle stuck in the ground represented a soldier killed in the line of duty. Over the years, the tradition has evolved.
In war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq, military personnel erected battlefield crosses at camps as the centerpiece for memorial services honoring fallen soldiers.
The battlefield cross is made of three parts. The helmet and dog tags represent the soldier. The inverted rifle signifies a break in the battle to pay tribute to the fallen. And the combat boots represent the final march into battle.
Donated by Marine Cpl. James Kelly, the second piece on display is an American flag flown in Iraq's Al Anbar province during campaigns in 2007 and 2009.
After the dedication, the dozens of veterans that showed up to the park headed to The Village Inn to celebrate with pizza and beer.
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