PEKIN, Ill. – Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman says he’s going a different route to try and get a monument built honoring the county’s three Medal of Honor recipients.
Ackerman says the County Board just hasn’t had much support for the monument in the past, so he’s circulating petitions to try and get a question on the ballot asking voters for the monument.
“If you think of our nation’s military history dating all the way back to the Civil War, it shows you just how elite and how prestigious this award is,” said Ackerman, during a news conference Thursday. “It is our nation’s highest military award.”
Ackerman says the petitions have to be back in his office by November 20th, so they can be certified, and so the county board can vote to put the question on the March primary ballot.
If approved then, he says the estimated $80,000 monument, which would be placed with others on the courthouse grounds, could be up by 2025. Ackerman believes the county has the money in reserves, or in unused American Rescue Plan Act funds, to pay for the monument.
“Show support to the veterans of Tazewell County, that we want to get this thing built, immediately,” said Steve Saal, director, Tazewell County Veterans Assistance Commission. “It’s long overdue, so please give us a hand, and let’s get this situation done.”
More information on the Medal of Honor recipients is below.
From Tazewell County Clerk
