The MidWeek / MidWeeknews.com • Wednesday, May 26, 2021 MIDWEEK
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COVER STORY
‘FINDING HEROES’ Learn about veteran memorials and worldwide navigation at hidden Somonauk park By KATRINA J.E. MILTON kmilton@shawmedia.com
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OMONAUK – By walking through the trellised entrance of Finding Heroes Park, visitors can “travel” the world, “visiting” and learning about war memorials, cemeteries and battlegrounds without ever leaving Somonauk. The park, nestled in the middle of a small subdivision, is located at 310 Warren St. in Somonauk. Finding Heroes Park was constructed in 2006 by Somonauk native Tom Warren. Warren, who graduated Somonauk High School in 1953 and Iowa State University in 1957, was a lifelong farmer in Somonauk. He retired to Venice, Florida, and died in 2015. In 1981, he bought 32 acres in northwest Somonauk that he originally hoped would be used for a ball diamond and picnic areas. When similar facilities were built on the other side of town, Warren sold all the land, except for 1.7 acres, which later became Finding Heroes Park. Warren always had an interest in aviation and had a grass runway on his farm, where he would fly his own aircraft to many locations throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Central America. His most ambitious travel experience was an around-theworld trip with other alumni from Iowa State University. During that trip, Warren visited many war cemeteries and memorials honoring American men and women who died in service to the country. “He was moved by the different burial grounds and memorials around the world, and he wanted to honor all of the fallen men and women,” said Jay Rud, a friend of Warren’s and one of his three trustees. “He always had an interest in navigation and he was proud of his country.” Rud said he remembers standing out in a field one day in the 1990s with Warren, who was using an early navigational instrument. The two talked about creating a park that would be “a learning experience to those visiting.” “His interest in geography, mathematics and the understanding of longrange navigation is used [in the park] to gain perspective locations around the globe,” Rud said. A flagpole in the center of the park represents the location of Somonauk
Katrina J.E. Milton - kmilton@shawmedia.com
Panels and paved bricks in Finding Heroes Park, 310 Warren St. in Somonauk, include information about war memorials, cemeteries and battlegrounds around the world. on a world map. Built to a scale of 1 foot to 100 miles, visitors can travel around the world, from the North Pole to the South Pole, at a rate of 300 miles per step. The park features arching sidewalk pathways that branch out in various directions from the central flagpole. The sidewalks show the direction and Great Circle route, a path that circumnavigates the Earth, to the burial grounds and memorials around the world maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission. The park features locations of battlefields and monuments from the Mexican-American War in 1846 through the Vietnam War in 1975, which are marked with panels. The panels include photographs and historical information about memorials in Washington, D.C., the Manila Cemetery in the Philippines, and other locations around the world, including England, France, Italy and Vietnam. One unique section of the park has a panel about the farthest point in the world from Somonauk: a location 12,451 miles away in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Perth, Australia. The park also has a sign that states, “As our armed forces continue to stand up for freedom and liberty throughout the world, there will
undoubtedly be more sacrifice and sadness – it is for these soldiers and families that this memorial is intended.” “The world is very large, but for Tom, I think the world became smaller when he traveled,” Rud said. “He created the park to share a different perspective. The park has two purposes: to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in service to this country and to educate about navigation, hence the name ‘Finding Heroes.’” Rud, who also is a pilot, said he has traveled the world and has not seen any other park like the one in Somonauk. “I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else,” Rud said. “It would be a great place for local schools’ field trips or veteran organizations to visit and hold events. It would be nice to have a veteran docent to give tours, talk and answer questions. The park truly is a gem hidden in a small town.” The Rev. Bob Dell of Sandwich knew Warren when he was a parishioner of his church in Somonauk. “We are very fortunate to have such a fine park with so much content to it right here in our hometown,” Dell said. “They take beautiful care of
the grounds, and it is a very fitting setting.” Dell, a World War II veteran, said he has visited the park numerous times and enjoys reading the panels on display. “There’s so much information, it’d be difficult to learn and see everyone all at once,” he said. “You’d have to come back and learn about all the different memorials. It’s very informative, and every person can get something different from the park depending on their interests. It’s sometimes hard to grasp the extent of these memorial parks, where hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers, are buried, including those whose names are unknown.” For more information about supporting or donating to Finding Heroes Park, contact Dan Templin, executive director of the DeKalb County Community Foundation, at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org. “I remember touring the park with Tom, and he had so much pride and respect for veterans,” Templin said. “He was honored and humbled to design and build the park. It was his last project, and it was very special to him. He wanted people, everyone and anyone, of every age, to enjoy it and learn from it.”
