Westmont, Illinois -- Date Issued: June 3, 2021
On Monday, May 31 the Westmont American Legion and Westmont Park District hosted their annual Memorial Day ceremony to honor the fallen soldiers of our nation. During the ceremony, a sculpture in honor of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Army Sergeant James Robinson was unveiled.
“We want to thank American Legion Commander Frank Trout and Veteran Hal Burke for leading the charge in the creation of this sculpture that celebrates a war hero from our community,” said Park District Executive Director Bob Fleck, who designed the layout for the new memorial at the entrance of Veterans Memorial Park. “It has been a privilege to be part of this project. The Westmont Park District has always done its best to honor those who served our country.”
More than 100 people attended the ceremony, which included members of the Robinson family, Westmont American Legion, members of the Westmont High School Band, as well as the general public.
“As we were planning our year-long 100th Anniversary Celebration, we thought it would be great to make this presentation in 2021,” said Mayor Ron Gunter, who was one of the guest speakers during the ceremony. “The American Legion and the Park District did a beautiful job with this new memorial, which will serve as a reminder to all of our citizens that we owe a debt of gratitude to all of our veterans, but especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
MOH recipient U.S. Army Sergeant James Robinson made the ultimate sacrifice for his country on April 11, 1966 while serving in Vietnam. James was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Division. More than 35 men were killed in combat from this unit on this day when Robinson sacrificed himself to advance his unit against the enemy resulting in a battle in which his unit was dramatically smaller than the adversary.
Pictures from the ceremony can be viewed in the village website photo gallery.
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