Overcast skies provided a somber setting Tuesday afternoon for the dedication of the Illinois Fallen Soldiers Tree Memorial in Illini State Park.

The memorial is comprised of more than 200 oak trees planted on 2.5 acres by volunteers on Oct. 17. One tree stands for each Illinois soldier who has died in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Dignitaries and some 100 audience members were present for the hour-long ceremony.

The featured speaker was Vietnam War army veteran Roy Dolgos. He is a former director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and now is an official with the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Dolgos paraphrased a quote by World War II Gen. George S. Patton Jr.

" 'It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men and women who died here today. Rather, we should thank God that such men and women lived.' and that is true.

"Today we are not here mourning, today we are here recognizing our veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice. They sacrificed and suffered for our freedoms."

Marseilles Mayor Jim Trager and State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, also spoke.

Both cast the spotlight on Steve Massey of Streator, who conceived the idea of the tree memorial and guided it into happening.

"Steve, it's one of the most heartfelt projects I've seen out there and it will stand for families forever," said Mautino.

Massey attempted to thank all the volunteers who helped in some way to create the tree memorial, but said there were too many to be complete.

"It would take a half hour to name all those who contributed just to make this possible."

Massey said while the tree memorial was for those troops who had died in Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, "I just want to thank everyone who has served, everyone who is serving now and everyone who plans to serve."

Perhaps the most touching comments came came from Jerry Terando of Morris. He told how exactly four years earlier he had received news of the death of his son, Army Sgt. Joshua Terando.

"I was preparing to serve with the Color Guard at the (Grundy County) courthouse ceremonies the next day, Veterans Day.

"We got the knock on the door and it's something that changes your life. When you think of sacrifice a lot of times it's other people's sacrifice.

"But sometimes it comes home and it's overwhelming the emotion range you can go through until the final day when he does return home and you see that casket under the canopy of the flag of the United States of America."

The ceremony closed with "Taps" being played by Bugles Across America volunteer Diana Anshakov of Northville Township.

Unbeknownst to most audience members, the event provided a tribute to the late Larry Shehorn, a prominent Marseilles veteran for whom the park was named where the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial stands across the Illinois River from the tree memorial.

The temporary flagpole that Shehorn had provided while the wall memorial was being built in 2004 was placed behind the six-ton boulder that holds the dedication plaque. And Shehorn's personal ceremonial flag, outstretched with a Marseilles veteran holding each corner, was carried to the flag pole behind the AMVETS Honor Guard from Ottawa and flew throughout the ceremony.