Marathon Pundit: 11/11/11: Monmouth, IL veterans monuments

Monmouth Civil War monment

A post about a veterans observance at Chicago's Leo High School today by Pat Hickey reminded me that Veterans Day is in a week. I will be in Denver in blog-related business next Friday, so I want to get an early start in regards to 11/11/11.

Cool number, huh?

On another important day in military history, June 6, I drove the entire Ronald Reagan Trail in Illinois. My first stop was Monmouth, where Dutch lived from 1918-1919. The western Illinois town is probably best known as the birthplace of Wyatt Earp.

Monmouth is the county seat of Warren County, and the front of it is blessed by two veterans monuments. The first one honors the county's Civil War soldiers; a stately one that has an unfortunate error--it lists several western theater battles, including "Fort Donaldson." But the 1862 battle, which cemented General Ulysses S. Grant's reputation as an effective military leader, was actually Fort Donelson.

The second monument, dedicated in 1998, commemorates the bravery of the Warren County veterans who served in every war from the War of 1812 through our current conflicts.

Related posts:

Ronald Reagan Trail: Monmouth