Veterans Memorial on the Square

Veterans Memorial on the Square

The history of the Cannon, mounted on the new Veterans Memorial on the Square goes back in time. The old cannon, cast in 1862, was a gift from the late B. F. Caldwell, former Congressman and well-known resident of Chatham. The original date the cannon was dedicated is unknown. The next known dedication of the Cannon was June 1942, according to copies of newspaper articles submitted by Lee. Then, because the Cannon and carriage had deteriorated and had become broken down, members of the community decided to build a new Memorial incorporating the Cannon. They installed a plaque to commemorate the dedication. The County American Legion helped with the dedication ceremony. The community donated or paid for all the materials. Again, in 1990, the Memorial received a facelift. The Village put a flower garden in place around the Memorial. Chatham American Legion Post 759 purchased landscape timbers and they were put in place by Village employees, with the guidance of Rich Nuss of Rick’s Plant Place. This was completed in the fall of 1990 and yellow ribbons were placed in the evergreen trees to show support for our troops during “Operation Desert Storm” in Saudi Arabia. The Park Beautification Committee, headed by Madeline White, wanted to spruce up the Chatham Square. In March of 1999, Village trustee Jill Reynolds met with Les Morgan, Commander of American Legion Post 759, and discussed plans about what to do with the old Memorial. After a couple of meetings, Reynolds and Morgan approached Chatham VFW Post 4763 Commander Bob Migalich concerning a joint effort of the two Veteran organizations and the Village of Chatham to build a new Memorial, as in the past, incorporating the old cannon. Reynolds, Morgan and Migalich approached each respective organization and shared the idea, which was unanimously accepted. Construction of the Memorial began in November 1999. Bartolomucci served as job site supervisor, helping with and monitoring construction. Don Hashman, a local masonry contractor, donated many hours overseeing masonry work and laying of the Memorial bricks with the help of Arthur ‘Bing’ Bingenheimer. Selling Memorial bricks was one of several fundraising projects done to help pay for the Memorial. The Chatham Veterans Memorial Committee consisted of the following members: Chairman Les Morgan, Co-Chairman Bob Migalich, Co-Chairman Jill Reynolds, John Haines, Bob Mau, Dan Smith, Dave Warren, Tom Bartolomucci, Bob Shotts, and Jim DeRight.

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Organization Responsible for Installation:

A gift from the late B. F. Caldwell, former Congressman and well-known resident of Chatham

Memorial War Era(s):

Persian Gulf
Panama
Lebanon/Grenada
Vietnam
Korea
WWII
WWI

Location:

Village Square Chatham, Illinois 62629

 

Published on December 22, 2016