Veterans Park is full of flags, plaques and monuments dedicated to those who served our country. Off to the left stands the Peace Pole, one of the tributes created by Ohio artisan Joel Selmeier.
“I’m here today on location in Veterans Park on Veterans Day,” said Naperville resident Carolyn Lauing-Finzer. “What I would like to share with the community is that we have a peace pole within this garden. In 2015, it was dedicated by the Think Global Arts Foundation organization.
Meaning of the Pole
The eight-foot tall pole is made of Corten Steel and filled with engravings promoting peace through the arts.
“Our goal was to have 12 languages put on the pole,” said Lauing-Finzer. “And in translation, all of them say, ‘May peace prevail on Earth.’”
The pole represents inclusivity around the world. There is currently a yellow and blue ribbon on top to honor those impacted by the current crisis in Ukraine.
“When our veterans gather here, no matter what branch of service, they give their years of time and dedication to their main goal for the world was peace,” said Lauing-Finzer. “Our pole represents inclusivity, meeting other people, understanding their cultural traditions and learning from them so that we can all live in harmony and that we can indeed achieve peace.”
Lauing-Finzer tends to the garden surrounding the pole, which features a wide variety of plants and herbs from several different countries.
“I come out here about four times a week, planting new things,” said Lauing-Finzer. “This is a pollinator garden, it’s for the bees and the butterflies.”
Naperville’s Veterans Park celebrated Veterans Day this morning with a ceremony hosted by the Naperville American Legion Post 43 and Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873. For full coverage of the event, visit the NCTV17 Facebook page.
Naperville News 17’s Will Payne reports.
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