Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Kenneth Belton

Photographed By James Hulse, October 26, 2021

1. Kenneth Belton Marker

Inscription. This bed of tulips was donated by the people of Noorder-Koggenland, Holland on Dec. 3, 1999, commemorating the 55th anniversary of their liberation by the Allies and honoring Central Illinois native Kenneth Belton, who survived the mid-air explosion of his B-17 over Holland while on a bombing mission to Germany in January of 1945.

Members of the Dutch Underground resistance took Belton in while he recovered from his injuries. Belton moved around with the group for about four months, hiding from the Nazis, enduring rough living conditions and scarce food supplies that required them at times to boil tulip bulbs for food.

Erected 1999 by The People of Noorder-Koggenland, Holland.

Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1945.

Location. 39° 47.902′ N, 89° 38.707′ W. Marker is in Springfield, Illinois, in Sangamon County. Memorial is at the intersection of East Capitol Avenue and South 8th Street, on the left when traveling east on East Capitol Avenue. The marker is located in a courtyard next to the sidewalk. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 801 East Capitol Avenue, Springfield IL 62701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lincoln and Animals (a few steps from this marker); Lincoln's Horse

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(within shouting distance of this marker); William Beedle House (within shouting distance of this marker); Boyhood Home of Julius Rosenwald (within shouting distance of this marker); Henson Lyon House (within shouting distance of this marker); Harriett Dean House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); What Did Abraham Lincoln Eat? (about 300 feet away); The Long Road to Washington (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Springfield.

Also see . . . The man who fell to earth.

“I picked up the mike to say we’re going to have to get out of here, and the ship exploded,” Belton recalled during a 2012 interview conducted as part of an oral history project sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “For the first few seconds, I was unconscious. The next thing I knew, I was floating around in the air with my parachute hanging about five feet above my head.” Source: Illinois Times

(Submitted on January 12, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The Kenneth Belton Marker and the bed of tulips image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, October 26, 2021

2. The Kenneth Belton Marker and the bed of tulips

The view of the Kenneth Belton Marker in the courtyard image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, October 26, 2021

3. The view of the Kenneth Belton Marker in the courtyard

Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 12, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 157 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 12, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.