Portrait of a Soldier

Never Forgotten

Arlington Heights remembers fallen heroes 20 years post-9/11

Twenty years later, the Arlington Heights community remembers September 11, 2001, and those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries around the globe since 9/11. Portrait of a Soldier, an exhibit honoring these fallen heroes, debuts at the library Saturday, September 11, 2021, through Thursday, September 30. Its opening will be proceeded by a Remembrance Ceremony at First Presbyterian Church at 10:30 a.m., including live music and a reading of the names of Illinois’s fallen heroes. This collection of more than 300 hand-drawn graphite portraits were created by artists Cameron Schilling and Donald and Kiana Jeremiah, who are father and daughter. Schilling drew his first portrait in 2004 of Army SPC Charles Neeley, of Mattoon, Illinois. Schilling was working at Schilling Funeral Home on the day of Neeley’s funeral. “I was so moved by the community’s reaction and the way they came together to support the Neeley family, and I just wanted to support them as well,” Schilling said. “I decided I was going to draw a picture for his family because I just felt like I wanted to do something.” Schilling gave the portrait to the Neeley family and decided afterwards that he wanted to continue creating portraits for Gold Star Families, a title bestowed to immediate family members of soldiers who have died in the line of duty. Schilling had trouble finding contact information for Illinois families and sought help from Operation Homefront, a nonprofit that provides support for military families. This introduced him to Former Gov. Pat Quinn, who was involved in the nonprofit. That one portrait led to more than 100, and Quinn came up with the idea to turn it into a travelling exhibition, that made its debut at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago in 2006.

“It was moving,” Schilling said as he described seeing all his portraits on display for the first time. “It makes me a little bit emotional because the families, you don’t know what to say to them … I wanted to show them people cared about their sacrifice.” “There’s a profound saying in the military … that is a soldier can die twice – first when he falls on the battlefield and second when his name is no longer spoken,” said Greg Padovani, Chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights. “Bringing this exhibit to Arlington Heights is another way we can honor and remember these young men and women and let the families know that their loved ones will never be forgotten.”

Memorial Exhibit

September 11-30

“They’re children, they’re spouses, they’re family members, and this is our way of giving back again, 20 years later,” said Mary Beth Beiersdorf, who with her husband Will founded SALUTE, INC., a nonprofit that provides financial support for injured military service members, veterans and their families.

After travelling across Illinois, the exhibit will be at the library on the 20th anniversary of September 11th. A mural is also being created by students at John Hersey High School this month to be placed at the Road Home Program at RUSH Medical Center. Among more than 300 faces that can be seen in Portrait of a Soldier are four from Arlington Heights - Army Pfc. William R. Newgard, Marine Lance Cpl. James B. Stack, Marine 1st Lt. Andrew K. Stern and Army Maj. Paul R. Syverson III. “I really think the portraits will last long after we do. We’re not all going to live forever and when our time on Earth passes, those portraits will still be here,” Gov. Quinn said. “These were men and women - they lived, they breathed, they felt dawn and they gave their lives for a cause.”

Army Pfc. William R. Newgard

“Will was a very quiet kid, but he just loved the Army from the age of three,” said Kaki Newgard, the mother of Army Pfc. William R. Newgard. “He was all over the G.I. Joe, the Ninja Turtles; he loved wearing anything Army. We realized that this was even from a young age this was a passion that just didn’t go away.” Will Newgard, the son of J. Richard Newgard and Kathleen “Kaki” Newgard, was born on November 27, 1986, and grew up in Arlington Heights. He was interested in astronomy, nonfiction books and history, attended St. John’s Northwestern Academies and John Hersey High School, and enlisted in the Army in 2005 after his high school graduation. He was first assigned to 1st Armored Division, stationed in Germany in 2005, and in 2006 he was sent to Baghdad, Iraq. “That was the time where we really didn’t have much communication except for an occasional email; it wasn’t like it is today,” Kaki said. “He just loved the structure, he loved fighting for the United States, he loved everything about the Army. But in the fall, things were happening really fast, and he came home on leave in December 2006. It was obvious that he had seen some really tough stuff. He went back on December 20 and the last time we heard from him was Christmas Eve.”

Will was killed on December 29, 2006, in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device

detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was 20 years old. Will was awarded the Purple Heart for his service. “I want [people] to know he died doing what he loved, and he loved the United States of America,” Kaki said. “He believed that he was doing the right thing over there.” Kaki received Will’s portrait from the exhibit a year and a half after he died. “It just meant so much to me,” Kaki said. “He caught Will, his expression, and his crooked grin and everything about him. It was Will.”

Marine Lance Cpl. James B. Stack

“I’m very proud of James,” said Bob Stack, father of Marine Lance Cpl. James B. Stack. “He lived a short life, but he accomplished a lot and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

James Stack was born July 11, 1990, the son of Bob and Linda Stack. He grew up in Arlington Heights and was homeschooled with Christian Liberty Academy’s curriculum along with his sister Megan. He was involved in many sports, including soccer, air rifle shooting and was a star athlete in track and field.

James became a member of the Arlington Heights International Air Gun Club and was appointed to the Olympic Development Program in 2008. He won several national championships, including a USA Shooting Junior Olympics Gold Medal in 2008 for air pistol. James had a goal in mind, though, and when he turned 18, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. “He wanted to be a Marine; he wanted to be a good Marine,” Bob said. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, also referred to as “Darkhorse.” He was deployed in 2010 to Sangin, Afghanistan, where the United States was facing many injuries and casualties. James was killed on November 10, 2010, during combat operations while on foot patrol. He was 20 years old. He received the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal. He was survived by his wife Katie and daughter Mikayla. After James’s body as flown back to the United States, Greg Padovani organized a motorcade through Arlington Heights. “It was a cold day in November, and [the students] stood along the roadway,” Bob said. “They all had flags and you could hear a pin drop; it was beyond words the tribute that was paid towards my son as he was brought home.” “My wife and I and our family, I don’t think words can describe how grateful we are for all the kindness and support,” Bob continued. “Arlington [Heights] remembers; it’s a very patriotic community and it’s wonderful to know that your kid is not forgotten.”

Joy Syverson, the mother of Army Maj. Paul R. Syverson, III remembers how much her son loved his hometown. “[Once] when he was in the military at Fort Stewart, he called and said mom, can you come down for Fourth of July … It’s nothing like Frontier Days, but you’ll have a good time.” Paul R. Syverson III was born on October 24, 1971, to Paul and Joy Syverson. Before he and his family moved to Lake Zurich, Illinois, they lived in Arlington Heights. He attended OliveMary Stitt Elementary School, Thomas Middle School and John Hersey High School, where he graduated in 1989. Growing up, he was interested in the military and history. “As a child, he was always into the military and world history,” Paul said. “When he was 11 or 12, he joined the [Illinois Wing] Civil Air Patrol, and in high school, he was a member of the [Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps].” Paul’s interests extended into athletics and the arts – he played on Hersey High School’s state championship football team in 1987 and was a gifted violinist. “He took violin from the first grade all through high school and then when he went to college, they didn’t have an orchestra, so he became the head of the Band Company at [the Virginia Military Institute],” Joy said. Paul graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1993 with a degree in international studies and learned to speak Arabic. After graduating, he joined the United States Army Special Forces and was assigned to the Army’s 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. After September 11, Paul was among the first soldiers to be deployed to Afghanistan and was one of the soldiers who responded to a prison uprising in Mazar-e Sharif, where he helped retrieve the body of a CIA officer, which led to media attention from national stations such as CNN.

His time in Afghanistan was documented in the book Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug Stanton and the 2018 film 12 Strong, both available in the library’s collection. Paul also served three tours in Iraq. During his third tour, he was killed during a mortar attack in Balad, Iraq on June 16, 2004. He was 32 years old and survived by his wife Jackie, and his children Paul and Amy Elizabeth. Paul R. Syverson III received the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge and Special Forces Tab. “He was very patriotic,” Paul’s father said. “He loved his country.”

“If you look at the portraits and look into the eyes of the service member, you see really their soul.” - Gov. Pat Quinn

Portrait of a Soldier Exhibit

September 11–30 / First Floor

Arlington Heights September 11th Remembrance Ceremony

Saturday, September 11, 10:30 a.m. / First Presbyterian Church, 302 N. Dunton Ave.

20th anniversary 9/11 remembrance ceremony honoring fallen heroes and the sacrifices of Gold Star Families including live music and a reading of the names of our fallen heroes. Registration required, and includes admission into opening day of Portrait of a Soldier exhibit following ceremony.

Portrait of a Soldier Exhibit Opening

This exhibit will open to the public 1:30-4 p.m. Saturday, September 11, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and will remain on display daily at the library through September 30 on the library’s first floor. Portrait of a Soldier is an exhibit featuring hand-drawn portraits of more than 300 men and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and other countries around the globe since 9/11.

September 11th Anniversary Webinar Screening

Sunday, September 12, 1-3 p.m. / Cardinal Room

Drop in anytime between 1 and 3 p.m. to view the 2021 Anniversary in the Schools Webinar created by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Filmed at the museum, 9/11 anniversary webinars preserve the story of 9/11 through first-person accounts of the attacks and their aftermath. The webinar will repeat every 30 minutes beginning at 1 p.m.

Portrait of a Soldier Artists Panel

Friday, September 24, 7-8 p.m. / Zoom

Learn the story behind the Portrait of a Soldier exhibit, as portrait artists Cameron Schilling and Kiana Jeremiah join us for a conversation about this moving exhibit, their art and their personal connections to the project, which features portraits of more than 300 fallen heroes. Audience questions welcome.

The ceremony and Portrait of a Soldier exhibit are made possible by Governor Pat Quinn, SALUTE, INC., Arlington Heights Memorial Library, First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights, Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights, Arlington Heights American Legion Post 208, John Hersey High School, St. Viator High School and American Airlines Veteran Military Employee Business Resource Group with support from Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce and Doubletree Hotel Arlington Heights.