Robert “Kooch” Kuczera, right, raised awareness about the Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall and honored veterans for their service during Easter Jeep Safari at the Old Spanish Trail Arena on Friday, March 25. The memorial wall in Marseilles, Illinois, was dedicated in 2004 to commemorate the servicemen and women who have lost their lives in global conflicts since 1979. The project was conceived by Tony Cutrano and Jerry Kuczera, and built with donated material and labor. It was the first memorial of its kind in the U.S. to honor fallen veterans by name while a conflict is ongoing. The names on the wall represent fallen veterans who served in locations from Panama, Lebanon, the Balkans and Grenada, to Somalia, Haiti, Italy, Greece and the current conflicts in the Middle East. Motorcycle riders from across the country will be gathering at the wall on June 16 for the Illinois Motorcycle Freedom Run fundraising event. For more information, go to: www.ilmotorcyclefreedomrun.org. [Photo courtesy of Robert “Kooch” Kuczera]
