While WWII began on September 1st, 1939, with attack from Nazi Germany on Poland, the US was not involved in the conflict until after the Japanese attack on US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, on December 7th1941. After both of these events, President Franklin Roosevelt worked to prepare Americans and American troops for what would be the deadliest war in history.Among the major turning points of the war, for the United States, were the Battle of Midway (1942), the invasion of Italy(1943), the Allied invasion of France (1944), the battle of Leyte Gulf (1944)and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan (1945). [1] Which is what ultimately cause Japan to surrender and the War to end.
The WWII Memorial, located at Oak Ridge Cemetery, was constructed to in honor of the 987,000 men and women from Illinois that served our nation during the war. The main piece of the memorial is a large globe, that is twelve feet in diameter. It is surrounded by walls with the names and dates of the major battles fought during the war. The memorial was officially dedicated on December 4th, 2004. [2]
1500 Monument Ave. – Oak Ridge Cemetery Springfield,IL 62702
Phone: 217-782-2717
Cost: Free
Hours: Daily: 7 am – 8 pm (April – August); 7 am – 5:30 pm (September – March)
Historical tour of Springfield Il. 