Westmont, Illinois -- Date Issued: May 17, 2021
Westmont members of the American Legion and the Westmont Park District will hold a Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Park on May 31 at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will include the presentation of a new sculpture in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. James Robinson, which was coordinated by the Westmont American Legion and partially funded by the Westmont 100th Anniversary Committee.
“This is another one of the events that we planned to be part of our year-long 100th Anniversary Celebration,” said Mayor Ron Gunter. “I want to thank the American Legion for being the driving force behind this statue honoring Sgt. Robinson and the Park District for updating the Veterans Memorial at the entrance of the park.”
The sculpture, which features a brass eagle, will be part of a redesigned veterans memorial at the park, located at 75 E. Richmond Street. The Memorial Day ceremony will also include a performance by the Westmont High School choral group and the playing of taps.
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.
The American Legion and Westmont Park District invite the public to attend this ceremony.
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