Tomb of the Unknown replica to come to Bloomington as part of DAR convention

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is surrounded by flowers during a centennial commemoration event at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Arlington National Cemetery, on November 10, 2021, in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

By WMBD-TV

BLOOMINGTON – A replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will be featured at the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution convention in Bloomington later this month.

Debra Coe, the state’s honorary DAR regent and the head of the Illinois State Office Club, said the public can come to view the monument on April 25 at the Doubletree Hilton where the state convention will be held.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Replica and the 3 crypts that hold the remains of the unknown soldiers from World Wars I & II as well as Korean and Vietnam be on display in the hotel’s west parking lot or the “back lot.”

Viewing times start at 9:30 a.m. April 25 and noon on April 26. The Veterans Assistance Honor Guard will perform a flag ceremony at 5:15 p.m. on April 2.

Maj. (ret.) Bill King, of the Georgia National Air Guard and also of the U.S. Navy, will be available to answer questions about the replica and the club he represents.

The Illinois State Conference is held every year to educate members about DAR activities and celebrate achievements during the past year. Illinois DAR currently has 103 chapters and about 8,000 members.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a women’s service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War.

Today’s DAR is dynamic and diverse, with over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. For more information visit www.DAR.org and www.ildar.org.

WMBD-TV can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…