Streeterville in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Memorial to Dentists Killed in the World Wars

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 25, 2025

1. Memorial to Dentists Killed in the World Wars

Inscription.

Memorial to Dentists Killed in the World Wars. . [Left tablet:] World War I 1914–1918 Osborne, Weeden E.. World War II 1941–1945 Army. Alexander, Albert L. . Allen, Joe H. . Appel, Maurice . Baker, Miles L. . Barry, Frederick C. . Bernheim, Julien R. . Bethea, William L. . Bobrov, Sol A. . Boland, Martin F. . Brantlinger, Francis . Brewer, Harlow I . Brooks, Robert J. . Brt., Otto K. . Butcher, John West . Caraway, Leon W. . Cassity, John P. . Cephas, Albert H. . Cohin, Theodore R. . Connley, Edwin H. . D'Azzo, John LaRussa . DeLong, Cyrus W. . Epstein Julius L. . Evans, Martin M. . Faubion, Noel J. . Faucett, Glenn E. . Feindt, William B. . Feingold, Charles M. . Fields, Eugene P. . Fitzgerald, David H. . Forney, James C. . Frank, Meyer M. . Frasca, Kenneth J. . Friedberg, Herbert . Gardner, John T. . Genung, Russel W. . Gragg, John R. . Granetz, Abram B. . Gresik, Herman . Guerrero, Alejo, Jr. . Gugino, Anthony C. . Haen, Leonard A. . Hamilton, William T. . Harband, Ralph C. . Harper, Oscar C., Jr. . Hart, Arthur J. . Hittner, Joseph L. . Hudgins, John C. . Jacobsen, Herman . Jepsen, Emil E. . Jones, Albert P. . Jones, Jasper P. . Jones, Russell D. . Kamen, Paul . Katz, Louis R. [Right tablet:] Kemp, Sheldon R. . Kennedy, Charles T. . Kestler, Richard L. . Khoury, Anees K. . Kornblum, Morris H. . Kowalske. Oscar C. . Krajewski, Thaddeus . Krakow, George J. . Krieger, Oscar G. . Kriloff. Nathan . Laragay, Edwin J. . Lefkowitz, Samuel . Levine, Joseph M. . Levinson, Tobias . Liebowitz, Louis . Litch, Murray H. . Ludwig, Casimir B. . Machio. Thomas A. . Malcove, Harold A. . Masters, Conner M. . McCarthy, William G. . McCurdy, Howard A. . McDaniel, Floyd L., Jr. . McKee, James B., Jr. . Morgan, Samuel . Murphy, Francis A. . Nelson, Robert V. . Newman, Roy R. . Newsom, Brantley I. . Ney, Raymond D. . O'Donnell, Arnold J. . Pappas, James P. . Pater, Julius M. . Peters, Andrew E, Jr. . Pheanis, Clifford C. . Pickles, Nathan C. . Poston, James H. . Povilon, Albert A. . Prives, Benjamin . Ratner, Samuel . Richter, Gordon B. . Rohde, Samuel J. . Roth, Irving S. . Salmon, Mortimer R. . Salomon, Ben L. . Saltiel, Saul . Schock, Joseph . Schock, John L. . Seitz, Donald R. . Sesso, George A. . Seyfarth, Howard J. . Shapiro, Arthur I. . Smith, Harold G. . Soper, Fred L. . Spain, Carrol H. . Suer, Alexander P. . Sult. Michael C. . Swanson, Edwin E. . Swanson, Frank A. . Thompson, Richard F. . Urch. Earl C. . Ward, Claude A., Jr. . Weinrib, Morton C. . West, Harold T.

[Left tablet:]
World War I
1914–1918
Osborne, Weeden E.
World War II
1941–1945
Army Alexander, Albert L. • Allen, Joe H. • Appel, Maurice • Baker, Miles L. • Barry, Frederick C. • Bernheim, Julien R. • Bethea, William L. • Bobrov, Sol A. • Boland, Martin F. • Brantlinger, Francis • Brewer, Harlow I • Brooks, Robert J. • Brt., Otto K. • Butcher, John West • Caraway, Leon W. • Cassity, John P. • Cephas, Albert H. • Cohin, Theodore R. • Connley, Edwin H. • D'Azzo, John LaRussa • DeLong, Cyrus W. • Epstein Julius L. • Evans, Martin M. • Faubion, Noel J. • Faucett, Glenn E. • Feindt, William B. • Feingold, Charles M. • Fields, Eugene P. • Fitzgerald, David H. • Forney, James C. • Frank, Meyer M. • Frasca, Kenneth J. • Friedberg, Herbert • Gardner, John T. • Genung, Russel W. • Gragg, John R. • Granetz, Abram B. • Gresik, Herman • Guerrero, Alejo, Jr. • Gugino, Anthony C. • Haen, Leonard A. • Hamilton, William T. • Harband, Ralph C. • Harper, Oscar C., Jr. • Hart, Arthur J. • Hittner, Joseph L. • Hudgins, John C. • Jacobsen, Herman • Jepsen, Emil E. • Jones, Albert P. • Jones, Jasper P. • Jones, Russell D. • Kamen, Paul • Katz, Louis R.

[Right tablet:]
Kemp, Sheldon R. • Kennedy, Charles T. • Kestler, Richard L. • Khoury, Anees K. • Kornblum, Morris H. • Kowalske. Oscar C. • Krajewski, Thaddeus • Krakow, George J. • Krieger, Oscar G. •

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Kriloff. Nathan • Laragay, Edwin J. • Lefkowitz, Samuel • Levine, Joseph M. • Levinson, Tobias • Liebowitz, Louis • Litch, Murray H. • Ludwig, Casimir B. • Machio. Thomas A. • Malcove, Harold A. • Masters, Conner M. • McCarthy, William G. • McCurdy, Howard A. • McDaniel, Floyd L., Jr. • McKee, James B., Jr. • Morgan, Samuel • Murphy, Francis A. • Nelson, Robert V. • Newman, Roy R. • Newsom, Brantley I. • Ney, Raymond D. • O'Donnell, Arnold J. • Pappas, James P. • Pater, Julius M. • Peters, Andrew E, Jr. • Pheanis, Clifford C. • Pickles, Nathan C. • Poston, James H. • Povilon, Albert A. • Prives, Benjamin • Ratner, Samuel • Richter, Gordon B. • Rohde, Samuel J. • Roth, Irving S. • Salmon, Mortimer R. • Salomon, Ben L. • Saltiel, Saul • Schock, Joseph • Schock, John L. • Seitz, Donald R. • Sesso, George A. • Seyfarth, Howard J. • Shapiro, Arthur I. • Smith, Harold G. • Soper, Fred L. • Spain, Carrol H. • Suer, Alexander P. • Sult. Michael C. • Swanson, Edwin E. • Swanson, Frank A. • Thompson, Richard F. • Urch. Earl C. • Ward, Claude A., Jr. • Weinrib, Morton C. • West, Harold T.

Erected by American Dental Association.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, World I • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Medal of Honor Recipients series list.

Location. 41° 53.795′ N, 87°

Memorial to Dentists Killed in the World Wars and "Family" sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 25, 2025

2. Memorial to Dentists Killed in the World Wars and "Family" sculpture

The markers are next to the "Family" sculpture near the American Dental Association building's entrance.

37.376′ W. Memorial is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Streeterville. It is on East Chicago Avenue east of Michigan Avenue, on the right when traveling east. The memorial's two tablets are affixed to the American Dental Association's headquarters building, to the right (west) of the entrance, next to the "Family" sculpture. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL 60611, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is 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,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Engine Company 98 Firehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Past Presidents of the American Dental Association (within shouting distance of this marker); Eli M. Schulman Playground (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Great World War (about 400 feet away); The Water Tower & Great Chicago Fire (about 500 feet away); DeWitt Clinton Cregier (about 500 feet away); Old Water Tower (about 500 feet away); Magnificent Mile-Midosuji Boulevard Sister Street Agreement (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this memorial. While not stated explicitly on the two tablets, this memorial at the front of the American Dental Association headquarters is dedicated to dentists who died in the world wars. According to the ADA's website, the two tablets were originally dedicated at the headquarters as part of a courtyard called War Memorial Court. Those courtyards were enclosed during a 2006 renovation

ADA building front entrance image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 25, 2025

3. ADA building front entrance

The war memorial is on the right, beneath the widest arch.

and the tablets along with the nearby "Family" statue were moved to the right front of the building.

Regarding Memorial to Dentists Killed in the World Wars. Two of the men listed here received the Medal of Honor for their actions in battle.

The first, Chicago native Weeden Osborne, graduated from Northwestern University's dental school in Chicago in 1915. He was assigned as a U.S. Army dental surgeon in 1917 and joined the 6th Marine Regiment in 1918. During the Battle of Belleau Wood on June 6, 1918, Osborne worked to rescue wounded soldiers. The 25-year-old Osborne was killed when a shell exploded while he was carrying an officer off the battlefield. He was buried in Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, France. Osbourne's war effort re-entered the news in the early 2000s, when his Medal of Honor was obtained by the FBI after someone attempted to illegally sell it. It is now in the possession of the U.S. Navy Museum in Washington, D.C.

The other Medal of Honor recipient on this memorial is Ben Salomon, who posthumously received the medal in 2002 for his efforts in the Battle of Saipan. A native of Milwaukee and a 1937 graduate of the University of Southern California's dental school, he was drafted into the army in 1940. In 1942, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Army Dental Corps, and eventually ascended to the rank of captain. His first combat was in Saipan in June 1944, where he soon volunteered

ADA building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 25, 2025

4. ADA building

to replace a wounded surgeon. On July 7, Japanese troops began to overrun American lines and Salomon's nearby aid station. According to a history of Salomon’s medal citation from the U.S. Army Medical Department's Office of Medical History, Salomon ordered the wounded removed from the aid station, and grabbed a rifle to single-handedly hold off the Japanese as long as he could. Salomon's body was found with dozens of bullet holes and bayonet wounds; close to 100 bodies of Japanese soldiers were found near his position. Salomon, 29 years old when he died, was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. In the 60 years following Saipan, attempts to award Salomon the Medal of Honor fell short for a variety of reasons, including interpretations of international law about the use of weapons by medical personnel, a temporary end to the awarding of medals for World War II, and difficulty gathering firm information about Salomon's battle efforts due to later casualties among the survivors. Finally in the 1990s, Army dentist John King, researching a history of the Dental Corps in Vietnam, stumbled upon the story, while Robert West, an alumnus of the USC School of Dentistry who was writing a history of the program, also became interested, and efforts to honor Salomon resumed. Eventually, Congressional legislation removed the time limit for Salomon to be recognized, and on May 1, 2002, George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor to Dr. West and the USC dental school. Salomon

U.S. Army dentist working on a patient image. Click for full size.

Chicago Daily News Collection, Chicago History Museum, 1917

5. U.S. Army dentist working on a patient

Caption from the Chicago History Museum for this World War I-era photograph: "Image of Lieutenant Richard Leggett, U.S. Army dentist, working on a patient in an open room with a balcony in Chicago, Illinois."

is one of 17 Jewish Americans to receive the Medal of Honor, and one of three to have been awarded the medal for service in World War II.

Also see . . .
1. American Dental Association: Dentistry at the Front Line. (Submitted on February 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. History of the U.S. Dental Corps. (Submitted on February 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
3. Ben Salomon and the Medal of Honor.

Excerpt: "The soldiers on the hills above readily recognized the bravery of their comrades below, but they could not foresee that out of this action would come a Distinguished Unit Citation, two Medals of Honor, and a fifty-seven year struggle for another Medal of Honor for an Army dentist. In combat, the courage and fearlessness shown by some soldiers is frequently astounding and inexplicable. Such a fighter was Captain Ben Salomon, the Army dentist killed in battle defending his aid station on 7 July 1944. Almost as amazing as Ben Salomon's exploits is the story of how his heroism was finally recognized by the award of the nation's highest medal for valor."

(Submitted on February 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 341 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5. submitted on February 27, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.