Korean Veterans Memorial

NOV 28, 1998 LEROY -- Generous donations of land, labor, materials and money, the Lake County Korean Veterans Memorial is beginning to take shape. A labor of love and honor, the memorial is being carved out of a two-acre tract of land donated by Bob and Pat Ross, who live on the adjacent property in rural Leroy on the way to Stoney Run County Park. The memorial, the first of many the Lake County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission hopes to erect along the nine-mile strip known as Veterans Memorial Parkway, is quickly becoming a reality.

Fourteen oak trees donated through Lake County Tree Releaf and 40 white pines have been planted at the site, and a gravel parking lot has been installed. This week, John Stacks, vice president of the commission, did some final work for the season, including tilling the soil to prepare it for seeding with native prairie plants next spring. NIPSCO donated $1,000 toward that portion of the project. The commission also hopes to relocate a shelter donated by Inland Steel to the site next spring. The name Koran Veterans Memorial was chosen "because we're honoring not only the veterans of the war but those who have served as peacemakers and who continue to serve," said commission President Mitch Barloga. "The main focus of the memorial is to name Lake County war dead and those who have served since the Korean War," Barloga said. Eventually, a granite stone will be erected to list the names of those who died during the war. The commission chose to remember veterans from the Korean War in its second memorial because it has often been noted as the forgotten war even though it resulted in 55,000 American deaths, Stacks said. Barloga said construction of the memorial is a timely effort, since it was just Monday that Illinois state officials and veterans groups renamed Illinois Route 1 as the Illinois Korean War Veterans' Memorial Highway in Danville, the birthplace of the Illinois Korean War Veterans' Association. Eventually, the Lake County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission hopes to erect nearly 14 memorials to those Americans who died in every conflict since the American Revolution. Barloga said a committee has been formed to come up with a design for the Korean Veterans Memorial. "Hopefully by next spring we'll have a good design down," he said. The commission still needs to come up with 500 feet of wooden fencing, which it plans to install in the spring. A fountain and walking trail also are planned. "My goal is to have the memorial completed in the year 2000 for the 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean War," Stacks said. But work on the Korean Veterans Memorial, as well as other future memorials, depends on the generosity of donors to the not-for-profit organization. "Hopefully, people will see that this is a legitimate project and help us move ahead," Barloga said. "It can develop for years, even after the memorial is in."

April 10, 1999 LEROY -- A June 26 dedication date has been set for the site of the first war memorial located along Veterans Memorial Parkway in Lake County. According to Mitch Barloga, president of the Lake County Veterans Memorial Parkway Commission, letters inviting local government officials to participate in the 11 a.m. event have been mailed and a program for the ceremony is being prepared. "We already have a confirmation from Rep. Bob Kuzman, D-Crown Point," Barloga said. The site, on a two-acre tract donated by Bob and Pat Ross, should be completed by next year and will include a shelter, walking path, plantings, and a memorial dedicated to Lake County veterans who lost their lives in the Korean Conflict. The property is located near 145th Avenue, which leads to Stoney Run County Park, the location of the Lake County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, also a project of the Commission.

The Rosses were the first to take advantage of a new revision to the unincorporated Lake County subdivision ordinance passed last year exempting those who donate land from having to subdivide their property in order to do so. The ordinance saves landowners thousands of dollars, and the donation also is a tax write-off, Barloga said. Since the Parkway, a 15-mile strip of highway along U.S. 231 from Crown Point to Hebron, was dedicated on Jan. 5, 1994, it has been a goal of the Commission to line the parkway with markers and flags to identify the various armed forces and their Lake County members who perished while serving their country. The Commission hopes to erect nearly 14 memorials to those Americans who died
in every conflict since the American Revolution. The commission is planning a June 2000 dedication of the finished memorial. That date will mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the two-year Korean Conflict, which took the lives of more than 55,000 Americans. So far, the Korean Veterans Memorial is being constructed through donations. "Every major veterans group in the county has donated to this memorial," Barloga said. In addition to a monument bearing the names of fallen American heroes of the Korean Conflict, the Commission also plans to locate a donated shelter, install split-rail fencing along the boundaries of the property, and erect a flagpole and sign. A fund-raising effort in December brought nearly $10,000 in donations, but more is needed to complete the memorial. The memorial itself, which was about one year in the design stage, will consist of five 18-foot stone columns in a semi-circle, each representing a different branch of the armed forces, said Paul Reed, architect and partner in IN Architects, Inc. of Crown Point. Reed designed the memorial with input from Commission members. The semi-circle will radiate to a curved wall. Both the names of Lake County residents killed in the Korean Conflict and information about the war will be included.
"We wanted to symbolize the armed forces and specifically the Lake County people involved," Reed said. Terry Willie, a Winfield resident who has been a member of the commission since
its inception, also helped pull the design together, with ideas he obtained on the Internet. "The only monument of any size to Korean veterans is the one being built now in
Washington," he said. "The columns give the monument some mass. You can see them from (U.S.) 231 and hopefully it will attract people to come see the site."

May 31, 1999 When American Legion Post 485 in Schererville received a letter several months ago requesting donations to help build a Korean Veterans Memorial, the matter
was tabled. After all, American Legions are non-profit organizations, usually run on shoestrings, and they get requests for donations from veterans groups all the time. But member Richard Smith couldn't let this issue die. "I had to do something," said Smith, 68, who served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during the Korean War in 1953. Smith emphasizes the word "war" and
bristles at those who regard it as merely a "conflict." "It was never officially declared a war," he said. "If our men fought there and died there, it was a war. You never hear anything about it."
More than 55,000 Americans died during the Korean War's three-year run, compared to 58,000 during the war in Vietnam, which lasted 16 years. That is one of the main reasons Smith decided to do something about the letter. He constructed a small collection box on a wood base, flanked on one side by a framed explanation of the planned memorial and on the other side by a framed watercolor rendering of the layout of the memorial, which is being built just off U.S. 231 -- which is designated Veterans Memorial Parkway -- in Leroy. The donation box was placed at the post's bar and donations began to pour in. "They even found some old Jim Beam decanters in the back from past legion conventions, and they raised money on those with tip boards," Smith said. "Our goal was to present a check to the (Veterans Memorial Parkway) Commission before Memorial Day. It worked." More than $1,200 was raised in less than two months, and a check for that amount was presented to the commission by Post 485 two weeks ago. "We're still getting a little in, and we'll give them that, too," Smith said.
"I'm just tickled pink about it. I challenge all other American Legions, Veterans of Foreign Wars and AMVETS to go out and raise $3 per member. That's was ours came out to." Smith said even the Texas company for which he does consulting work gave a donation. Land for the memorial was donated by Bob and Pat Ross, who live on the adjacent property. So far, a stone parking lot, native plants, trees and a shelter have been installed at the site. Just Saturday, commission members finished installing 700 feet of fence around the property, which will including a walking trail, a monument of five 18-foot granite pillars and the names of all those Lake County residents who died in the war. "It shows what can happen when one member can make the commitment to get behind something that will be beneficial to the entire county," said Mitch Barloga, president of the commission. The money will go directly toward the construction of the Korean Veterans Memorial, as have past donations from companies, organizations and individuals, Barloga said. Cost of the construction of the memorial is estimated at about $100,000, Barloga said. A special site dedication ceremony is scheduled to take place 11 a.m. June 26. The memorial should be completed some time next year, Barloga said.
Barloga said he hoped Smith's idea will catch on at other Lake County American Legion posts. "Maybe when we're old and decrepit, we'll go down to the shelter and sit in the
sunshine and reminisce," Smith said. "Someday it will be something to talk about."

June 27, 1999, WINFIELD TWP. -- The 38th Parallel, the Iron Triangle, Pork Chop Hill. "Household names? Hardly," said Mitch Barloga, president of the Veterans Memorial Parkway Commission, as he addressed a crowd of about 150 Saturday morning. "But they embodied the Korean War, known as the Forgotten War." Barloga stood in front of the flag that will be the center of the Korean Veterans Memorial, located along Veterans Memorial Parkway on two acres donated by Bob and Pat Ross. Barloga called it a "cruel twist of consequence" that the Korean War was wedged between World War II and Vietnam -- a consequence that left the war ignored by most. State Sen. Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake, who was instrumental in acquiring
designation in 1994 of the 15-mile Corridor of Honor along U.S. 231 -- from U.S. 41 in St. John Township to the Porter County line -- as Veterans Memorial Parkway, was on hand to thank the Rosses for their donation. She spoke of her wish to have the entire length of U.S. 231, all the way to Panama City, Fla., dedicated to veterans. "It was our hope then and still is," said Landske. "There is no better memorial than the living memorial this parkway provides." Other speakers included Crown Point Mayor James Metros, Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub and Ret. General Dean Sangalis, U.S.M.C. Saturday's site dedication included a ribbon cutting by Virginia Swan, sister of Sgt. William Windrich, U.S.M.C., who perished in Korea and was bestowed with the Medal of Honor. Noreen Novak sang "The Star Spangled Banner," "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America," Cedar Lake American Legion Post 261 provided a 21-gun salute, and Crown Point High School band members played taps. Don Loeffler, a member of the U.S. Army's 62nd Engineer Construction Battalion, wiped tears from his eyes during the ceremony. Loeffler, who was sent to Korea in 1951, helped build the Shoofly Bridge over the Han River in Seoul and, later, the Highway Bridge. "I'm here because I'm a Korean vet," Loeffler, of Hammond, said. "This is a good thing. It's about time. And it's about time some of the Korean vets got together." William Farrington, also of Hammond, served in the 45th Division, 180th Regiment in Korea from 1953 to 1954. Farrington agreed that Korea was forgotten by many. "It kind of took the wind out of your sails, so to speak, being right in the middle of World War II and Vietnam. I would just like to say thanks to the people putting this up. It's an honor to me." Barloga also accepted surprise donations of $2,500 from Waste Management; $500 from Disabled American Veterans Chapter 17, Hammond; and $225 from the Korean Veterans Association, Whiting.

John Curley, Winfield Township trustee and owner of Curley Masonry, offered a donation of all masonry for the memorial, which is being built solely through donations of materials, labor and funding. John Stacks, founder of the Veterans Memorial Parkway Commission, said he was "very proud" of Saturday's events. "It's a great tribute to a great group of people," Stacks said. "I just hope people contribute whenever they can. When most of us aren't here, it will be something future generations can be proud of." The Rosses, who live on the adjacent eight acres, are the first to donate property for what the Parkway Commission hopes will be a series of memorials to honor America's fallen heroes of every war. The flagpole and flag were erected by Parkway Commission members a week ago. "Last night it was quiet, and we just looked out there and you could hear it snap in the wind, and you knew why you did it," Pat Ross said of her and her husband's decision to donate their land. "She's a beautiful flag for a beautiful country."

OCTOBER 11, 1999 A lag in funding could push the dedication of the Lake County Korean Veterans Memorial past its historically significant target date. "It's all based on the fact that the money has not come in at the rate we expected," said Lake County Veterans Memorial Parkway Commission President Mitchell Barloga. To date, about $40,000 in donated material, labor and funding has gone into the two acres donated by Bob and Pat Ross in Leroy. "We still need about $50,000 or $60,000 in labor and materials to finish the job," Barloga said. "We dedicated the site in June and we wanted to have the memorial completed in time for a June 25, 2000, dedication date -- the 50th anniversary of the start of the United States' involvement in the Korean conflict. Barloga said because some commitments fell through and a mailing generated less financial support than anticipated, the volunteer commission has turned its attention from military organizations to private enterprise in hopes to achieve the funding. "World War II and Korean veterans are aging and passing on, and many Vietnam veterans are dying of cancer and other diseases related to their being in Vietnam," Barloga said. So far, the site has received a gravel parking lot, tree plantings and seedlings, a donated shelter, flagpole and fencing. Five 18-foot limestone columns also have been donated, one for each branch of the military, but still needed are concrete work for a proper foundation, granite to engrave the names of Lake County veterans who died in the Korean War and other materials and labor. "We want it to be done correctly the first time, because we want this to be a permanent thing," Barloga said. The committee also plans to hire an engineer to survey the site. A fountain and walking trail also are planned. The memorial is the first of what the commission hopes will be a series of memorials along the 9-mile Lake County Veterans Memorial Parkway along U.S. 231. The commission hopes to erect a memorial to Lake County military who died in every conflict since the American Revolution. "We're not desperate by any means," Barloga said. "We're optimistic. It's really taken off in the last few years, and we're very appreciative of all the donations we have received. Once the memorial is in, we will still enhance and beautify the property as the years go by. We're just asking people to keep us
in mind in their philanthropic endeavors."

APRIL 14, 2003 LEROY - The Lake County Korean Veterans Memorial is moving up. Bricklayers last week installed the frames for the five 18-foot columns that will honor each of the five branches of the military at the site of the memorial, along Lake County Veterans Memorial Parkway. The columns will later be covered in limestone and a huge granite wall will be engraved with the names of about 150 Lake County veterans who gave their lives in the Korean War. Apprentices from Bricklayers Union Local 4 donated their work for the memorial, Friends of the Lake County Veterans Memorial Parkway President Mitch Barloga said. The group is the nonprofit fund-raising branch of the Lake County Veterans Memorial Committee. "It's a great opportunity to give them experience and help our cause," Barloga said. "We got all sorts of work accomplished, including getting the pad poured and all the foundations for the memorial. We were extremely pleased with their work and their speed." The memorial is the first of several to be placed along the stretch of U.S. 231 called Veterans Memorial Parkway from U.S. 41 to Hebron, to honor American veterans from all wars. The Lake County Vietnam Veterans Memorial already exists at nearby Stony Run County Park. State Sen. Sue Landske was instrumental in persuading the Indiana General Assembly in 1994 to designate the Lake County Veterans Memorial Parkway. The Lake County Korean Veterans Memorial project has been in the making since 1998. Various organizations, businesses and individuals have donated money, labor, materials, and eve n the land for the memorial, Barloga said. At a special ceremony marking the beginning of the final phase of the construction of the memorial last November, mayors and other officials of the Lake County municipalities of Gary, Hammond, Hobart and Crown Point and Lowell offered a commitment of verbal, if not monetary, support for the project. Thus far, the memorial site includes a pathway, planted native grasses, trees and other plantings, a split-rail fence, a flagpole, a gazebo, and a shelter. Barloga estimates the value of donated labor and materials has reached more than $50,000. Another $25,000, funded by donations, has been spent on the memorial. "We still need to raise a few thousand more to finish the granite," Barloga said. He said the Friends are working with Lake Central High School history teacher Tom Clark and his students, who are helping locate the names of the veterans. "Most people don't know it, but there are 37,000 American troops still in Korea," Barloga said. Promoters of the memorial are hoping that it is completed before July 27, the 50th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. "That is a Saturday and we hope to have a dedication ceremony that day," Barloga said. Once the memorial is completed, the Friends plan to begin another. "We have a commitment for a World War II memorial at 113th Avenue and 231," Barloga said. Tentative plans are also in the offing for a Civil War memorial a mile west of Crown Point.

OCTOBER 23, 2003 CROWN POINT -- Determined to see the Korean Veterans Memorial finished in three weeks for its dedication, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter and Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez launched a fund-raising campaign Friday. The prosecutor and sheriff's offices are underwriting a mass mailing aimed at raising the final $10,000 needed to finish the memorial on U.S. 231, near Leroy. Those donating $70 will get a memorial brick engraved with the name of the person they wish to honor, Dominguez said. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. "I have a cousin who died in the Korean conflict," Dominguez said. "When Bernie and I heard the memorial might not be finished for lack of funding, we knew we could never let the veterans stand alone. The veterans have done so much for our country, for our freedom. We need to let them know they are not the forgotten veterans."

Several World War II and Korean War veterans attended the news conference announcing the fund-raiser. Dominguez asked Eliseo Castaneda, a Korean War veteran, to speak. Castaneda, a member of the staff of Sgt. William Windrich Medal of Honor Chapter Three Korean War Veterans Association of East Chicago, took the chance to correct Dominguez's use of the word ,conflict. "Everyone uses the word conflict to describe the Korean War," Castaneda said. "I always correct them. I say anytime you've got someone shooting a gun at you, it's a war -- not a conflict. That being said, it's a pleasure to hear it (the memorial) is getting done." Pat Ross, who along with her husband Bob, donated the 2 acres of land on which the memorial sits, applauded the announcement. Pallets of blank bricks sit on her patio awaiting purchase and engraving, she said. About 3,000 letters are going out to "friends of the prosecutor and sheriff" asking for donations of any amount. Carter said he feels sure once people know of the need, contributions will flow in. Carter and Dominguez pledged to make up the difference if the campaign falls short of the $10,000 goal. The memorial bricks will line the pathway along the site where five stone columns stand in a semicircle across from a wall bearing the names of the 101 Lake County residents who died in the war. On the back of the wall will be a map and short history of the war. A ceremony dedicating the memorial is scheduled for 1 p.m. Nov. 15. There is a covering available for the memorial so the ceremony will go on rain or shine, said Mitch Barloga, of the Veterans Memorial Parkway Commission.

NOVEMBER 13, 2003 CROWN POINT -- An effort to formally honor the area's Korean War veterans will culminate Saturday with the dedication of the Lake County Korean Memorial.
The memorial, located at the intersection of U.S. 231 and 145th Avenue east of Leroy, will be dedicated at 1 p.m. "We expect quite an emotional event on Saturday," said Mitch Barloga, president of the Friends of the Veterans Memorial Parkway, which is organizing the dedication. The site itself was dedicated in 1999, but the project has been delayed by funding and construction problems. Last month Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez and Prosecutor Bernard Carter stepped in to provide the funding necessary to complete the memorial before the end of 2003, the 50th anniversary of the war's end. The Crown Point Royal Regiment marching band and Lake County Bagpipers will provide music for the event, and vocalist Luci D'Mari will sing. Up to 300 people are expected Saturday at the memorial, whose centerpiece is a granite wall that pays tribute to the 101 county soldiers who died or were listed as missing in action during the 1950-to-1953 conflict. On one side of the wall displays a list of soldiers' names; the other features a chronology of the war itself. The wall also includes a special panel for Staff Sgt. William G. Windrich, who received a posthumous Medal of Honor after dying in combat in 1950. Windrich is the only Lake County resident to receive a Medal of Honor during the Korean War. The wall is surrounded by five 18-foot limestone columns, which represent the branches of the armed services.

NOVEMBER 16 2003 LEROY - With tears in his eyes, Fred Doppler recalled how those close to him lost loved ones during the Korean War, but one special soldier returned home safe.
His brother-law, Mike Yuritic, who was a combat engineer for the U.S. Army during the war. "We're very proud of him," Doppler said. "He came back." Doppler, of Griffith, and Yuritic, of Hammond, were among a 150 or so veterans, officials and spectators who attended Saturday's dedication of the Lake County Korean Veterans Memorial by the Friends of the Vietnam Memorial Parkway Inc. Despite a slow, constant rain coupled with cold temperatures, the day wasn't as many had hoped, but others said even bad weather couldn't keep them away from something that was years in the making. "It took a long time," Yuritic said. "It really was the forgotten war. It's nice to finally get some recognition." The memorial includes five, 18-foot tall limestone columns for each branch of the armed forces. A central flagpole, walking path, parking lot and shelter are also included in the 2-acre parcel, which was donated by Robert and Patricia Ross, who own a home adjacent to the memorial site. A monument wall, complete with a map of Korea, chronology of the war and the names of the 101 Lake County soldiers who lost their lives during battle, stands at the site, located just east of Leroy at the intersection of U.S. 231 and 145th Avenue. One panel of the wall also includes a tribute to local soldier Staff Sgt. William Windrich, who was the only Lake County resident awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The 45-minute ceremony included speeches, music and the laying of a wreath.
With the site dedicated in 1999, the memorial has been in the planning stages for years. The project has been delayed by both monetary and construction problems. The goal, though, was to have it complete by December so it would be dedicated in time for the 50th anniversary of the war's end. After public pleas for financial contributions, additional donations came in, including one for $3,000 from Peoples Bank. Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter also stepped in to help raise the necessary money. Both Dominguez and Carter attended the ceremony. "This is a very touching day," Carter told the crowd. "Our contributions are minimal to what others are doing for our country today." Carter also acknowledged Dominguez, who he said initiated their involvement. "We would never, as a community, never, allow something like this to be delayed," Dominguez said. Veteran Herb Verrill was glad the delay was only temporary. Verrill, who was part of the engineer division of the U.S. Army, spent 12 1/2 months serving in Korea. “We're finally getting recognition," Verrill said. Verrill was one of 400 Korean veterans who was selected to go back to Korea for a 50th anniversary tribute, which included soldiers from all over the world. He took the trip in July and met several dignitaries, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. "It was my first time going back there since the war," Verrill said. "It completely changed. They treated us like kings." Verrill said he plans to continue revisiting the memorial to honor his fellow soldiers. "I'll definitely be back," Verrill said. "It took a long time for us to get this. It's too bad that after we all came home there were no parades or anything. But it's nice that we're finally getting the recognition."

MAY 31, 2004 LEROY -- A Memorial Day Candlelight service set for Sunday has been rescheduled for 8 p.m. tonight at the Lake County Korean Veterans Memorial, 145th Street and U.S. 231. The service will include a candle-lighting ceremony and recitation of the names of all 101 Lake County veterans who died or were listed as missing in the Korean War. Seating will be available for the first 100 in attendance. The site for the memorial was dedicated in 1999. The memorial itself, with a gazebo, native plantings, and five tall columns, each dedicated to a branch of the armed services, was more than five years in the making. At a cost of about $200,000, the memorial was created mostly from donated materials and labor by local labor unions, organizations, businesses, Boy Scouts and individuals. Even the two acres on which the memorial is located was donated by Bob and Pat Ross, who live next to the memorial.

MAY 26, 2019 CROWN POINT — The Friends of the Veterans Memorial Parkway board hosted a wreath laying ceremony Sunday afternoon at the local Lake County Korean War Memorial.
Crown Point resident Laura Alexander and Gary resident Terri Fowler, both of the American Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 14, helped conduct the ceremony. The Friends of the Veterans Memorial Parkway was established in 2001 to oversee the development of the parkway as a tribute to veterans in time of war and peace, according to the group. The Korean Veterans Memorial is on donated land and was dedicated in 2003. The Parkway group is also involved in a World War I and II veterans memorial, a Holocaust remembrance in Crown Point and the Veterans Memorial Trail from Crown Point to Hebron.