Governor Signs Gulf War Veterans Memorial Bill

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan signed House Bill 1033 today allowing construction of a new Gulf War Veterans Memorial in Springfield.

"Fourteen Illinoisans gave the supreme sacrifice during the Gulf War," Ryan said. "This memorial will recognize and honor those individuals who gave their lives in the fight for freedom."

House Bill 1033 provides that a Gulf War Veterans Memorial may be constructed by a private entity on a portion of the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.

Veterans of the Gulf War requested a separate memorial dedicated to the 14 Illinoisans who served and lost their lives during the Gulf War. Included among the major federally chartered veterans groups voicing support for the legislation were the American Legion, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Oak Ridge Cemetery has already conveyed the land to the state for the purposes of building war memorials. According to the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, the estimated cost of the memorial is $20,000.

Sponsoring HB 1033 were Senators Laura Kent Donahue (R-Quincy), Lawrence Walsh (D-Elwood) and Duane Noland (R-Blue Mound), along with Representatives Art Tenhouse (R-Liberty), Raymond Poe (R-Springfield), Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago), Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro), and Tom Holbrook (D-Belleville).