Oak Park in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Robert Emmett Murphy Memorial Flag Pole
Photographed by Sean Flynn, June 4, 2023
1. Robert Emmett Murphy Memorial Flag Pole Marker
PFC Robert Emmett Murphy USMC
Killed in action on Saipan in the Pacific-WW II
He gave his life for our freedom
We miss you, Bob
Your friends at Carroll & Lincoln
July 26, 1925 - July 8, 1944
Erected 1999.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II.
Location. 41° 52.069′ N, 87° 47.803′ W. Memorial is in Oak Park, Illinois, in Cook County. It can be reached from Kenilworth Avenue north of Fillmore Street. The marker and flagpole are in Carroll Park, next to Lincoln School on the far south side of Oak Park. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 1125 South Kenilworth Avenue, Oak Park IL 60302, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture,
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Carroll Park Veterans Honor Roll (here, next to this marker); Gold Star Men of the World War (here, next to this marker); Carroll Center (a few steps from this marker); Veterans Memorial (approx. Ό mile away); A Brief History of FitzGerald's (approx. 0.4 miles away); FitzGerald's Nightclub (approx. 0.4 miles away); Elvira Rubinstein (approx. 0.4 miles away); Oak Park Conservatory (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Park.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Milly's Pizza in the Pan (was approx. Ό mile away but has been permanently removed).
More about this memorial. This flagpole and this plaque sits between two memorials to World War I dedicated to men from the south side of Oak Park.
Regarding Robert Emmett Murphy Memorial Flag Pole. Robert Emmett Murphy was born in Forest Park, Illinois, in 1925. According to his draft registration card, at the time of his enlistment Murphy lived at 1001 S. Euclid, about four blocks from this marker. He was 5 feet 8 inches
Photographed by Sean Flynn, June 4, 2023
2. Robert Emmett Murphy Memorial Flag Pole Marker
Murphy was sent to Japan as a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, and he participated in the Battle of Saipan. Murphy was mortally wounded on July 8, 1944, the day before that battle ended and two weeks before his 19th birthday. Originally buried in Saipan, Murphy's body was returned to the United States in 1949. He was buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois.
Photographed by Sean Flynn
3. Robert Emmett Murphy Memorial Flag Pole Marker
Photographed by Sean Flynn
4. Robert Emmett Murphy, 1943 OPRF High School yearbook photo
Robert Murphy's senior photo appeared in the 1943 Oak Park-River Forest High School yearbook. Murphy graduated from OPRF in the spring of that year, turned 18 on July 25, 1943, and enlisted in the U.S. Marines the next day. He died on Saipan less than a year later, on July 8, 1944.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 5, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 275 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on June 27, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 5, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on June 26, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
