[August 17, 2012]    

On Sunday, Aug. 5, a special memorial was brought to Lincoln to honor a special group of people: those who served in World War II.

The WWII Memorial that is located in Washington, D.C., was completed in 2004.

Realizing that many of those for whom the national memorial was built would not see it, a passionate group of volunteers organized and arranged to borrow the original 800-pound model.

The Pillars of Honor organization, located in Des Plaines, has been taking the model and a full honor program on the road since 2010. The all-volunteer organization tries to be on the road once a month.

Pictures by Jan Youngquist

Both James Logan, standing, and William B. Wyles, to the right of Logan, served in the Navy during WWII.

Both were accompanied at the Aug. 5 event by their wives. James and Sarah live in Mount Pulaski. William and Elizabeth live in Lincoln.

Logan served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He rose to the rank of master chief petty officer, the highest an enlisted sailor could go.

During the program, the American Legion honor guard built a monument to honor prisoners of war and missing in action. Soldier emblems -- helmet, shoes, rifle and American flag -- were ceremoniously placed with an empty chair.