Being the capital of the state of Illinois, Springfield is home to many historic and memorial military sites that honor the men and women that served their country. Visitors come from all over the country and the world to see some of these sites and remember loved ones that we should never forget. If you are traveling to Springfield, IL, stop by any one of these memorials, museums or sites to pay tribute to the history that took place there, the men and women that stood up for their country and the significance that people and places played in the history of our country.
Illinois State Military Museum
The Illinois State Military Museum is located in a building known as The Castle at Camp Lincoln. The purpose of the museum is to display and remember the history of the Illinois National Guard and Illinois Militia. Housed inside the Museum are items that were used during different time periods in Illinois’ history, but there are also a couple gems that the museum likes to boast about. Lincoln’s wooden target is on display, Santa Anna’s prosthetic leg and an 1883 Colt gun.
http://www.il.ngb.army.mil/Museum/
Camp Butler
Camp Butler served many different purposes throughout the length of the Civil War, but most notably it was an Army training camp for Union soldiers and a prison for Confederate Soldiers. It is now designated as a National Cemetery and is overseen by the VA department. The camp was chosen by General Sherman, on Lincoln’s orders and the first troops from Illinois were trained here. Camp Butler holds the graves of soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies, the Korean War, Spanish-American War, and the Vietnam War. During the Memorial Day weekend, the cemetery is dressed by scouts, veterans and volunteers.
http://www.cem.va.gov/CEMs/nchp/campbutler.asp
Illinois Korean War Memorial
To honor the Illinois soldiers that served during the Korean War, a memorial was placed in Oak Ridge Cemetery in their honor. It is one of the few memorials that honors Illinois soldiers in Springfield. Oak Ridge Cemetery is well known as the final resting place of President Lincoln, but most guests visit Lincoln’s Tomb and do not look around the beautiful grounds, so make sure you visit this memorial, and the two newer memorial additions– World War II memorial and Vietnam Memorial.
http://www.oakridgecemetery.org/memorials.html
Air Combat Museum
THe Air Combat Museum features and houses airplanes that were used in military campaigns, historic aviation memorabilia and other historic aircraft that has found its way to the museum. Some of the warplanes are in flying condition and are used in air shows throughout the United States, but most of them are preserved within the hangar that is the museum. Some of the most significant ariplanes include a Vought F4U-5 Corsair and a Soko G-21 Galeb.
http://aircombatmuseum.org/museums_aircraft.htm
Korean War National Museum
The Korean War National Museum is located in Springfield Illinois and has been designated as the country’s museum meant to honor the men and women who served during the Korean War. This museum goes beyond war stories and memorabilia, but tells the history of the push against the spread of communism in the region where the war was fought. A virtual wall has been started to honor the men and women that served, but who cannot make the journey to the national museum.
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