Harold ?Sparky? Songer, a former prisoner of war, is recognized for his effort to provide a home for war heroes in the City of Danville and an educational structure for students of all ages. Leading a team of volunteers, Mr. Songer turned a one hundred-year-old building into a war museum. Having convinced the Danville City Council to buy the building, he and other volunteers spent the next two years and?countless hours of hard work?preparing the building for use. They then spent many months compiling artifacts, uniforms, weapons and other equipment, and gathering historical information to prepare for the dedication of the Vermilion County War Museum, which opened on Veterans? Day, 1999. Since its opening, thousands of schoolchildren, adults, and military personnel have visited the site, which is now widely known as one of the premier war museums in the Midwest. Mr. Songer?and his associates?deserve to be recognized not only for the tourism they have generated for the city, but also for providing a place of learning so that all may realize the price paid for freedom.
Select Illinois Humanities Council programs are now available for listening or download at Chicago Public Media (WBEZ) as a part of Chicago Amplified, a web-based audio library of diverse public events recorded throughout the Chicago region.
