Wheaton in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Blue Star Memorial
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
1. Blue Star Memorial Marker
A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America
[Names and information on the crosses, from right to left:]
Staff Seargeant Paul M. Latourney U.S. Army
2nd BN, 5th Cavalry Reg. 1st Brig Combt. Tm. 1st Cavalry Div.
KIA Baghdad, Iraq 03/02/07
Captain Kevin C. Landeck U.S. Army
2nd BN, 15th Field Artillery Reg, 2nd Brig Combt. Tm. 10th Mt. Div
KIA Baghdad, Iraq 02/02/07
Sergeant Thomas M. Gilbert U.S. Marine
1st BN, 24th Marine Reg, 4th Marine Division
KIA Al Anbar Province, Iraq 10/25/06
Sergeant
this page online
1st Calvary Reg, 1st Armored Division
KIA Ramadi, Iraq 8/04/06
Specialist Samuel T. Watts U.S. Army
1st BN, 508th PIR, 4th BCT, 82nd ABND
4/25/12 Afghanistan-DWRIA Bethesda, MD 5/19/12
Staff Sergeant Mario J. Bievre U.S. Army
2nd BN, 502nd Infantry Reg, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Div.
Κ.Ι.Α. Baghdad, Iraq 6/23/06
Lance Corporal Kevin E. Oratowski U.S. Marine Corps
1st light Armored Recon Bn., 1 Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
KIA Helmand Province, Afghanistan 08/18/2010
Private
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
2. Gold Star Families Memorial
The Blue Star Memorial and its crosses can be seen in the background.
3rd. Bat., 5th. Marines, 1st. Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Κ.Ι.Α. Fallujah, Iraq 2/01/06
Private First Class Gunnar R. Hotchkin U.S. Army
161st Eng Spt Co., 27th Eng Bn, 20th Eng Brig., 18 Airborne Corps
KIA Isa Kahn, Kunduz Province, Afghanistan 06/16/2010
Lance Corporal Adam W. Kaiser U.S. Marine Corp.
2nd Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Κ.Ι.Α. Fullujah, Iraq 12/01/05
Staff Sgt. Jeremy E. Bessa U.S. Army
Co B-Alpha team, 1st Bat,
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
3. Blue Star Memorial crosses: Kevin Landeck and Paul Latourney
KIA Kandahar, Afghanistan 2/20/09
Private Christopher M. Alcozer U.S. Army
2nd Bal., 1st Infantry Reg., 172nd Stryker Brig. Combt. Tm.
ΚΙΑ Mosul, Iraq 11/19/05
Staff Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco IL National Guard
2nd Bat, Battery A, 122nd Field Artillery
KIA Baghlan Afghanistan 10/27/08
Corporal Jeffrey A. Williams U.S. Army
Support Squadron 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
KIA Tall Afar Mosul, Iraq 09/05/05
Private 1st Class Leonard J. Gulczynski U.S. Army
610th Engineering Support Co. 14th Eng BN 555th
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
4. Blue Star Memorial crosses: Bradley Beste and Thomas Gilbert
KIA Baghdad, Iraq 09/17/08
Sergeant David M. Caruso U.S. Marine Corps
2nd Force Reconnaissance Co., II Marine Exped. Force
Fallujah, Iraq 11/09/2004 ΚΙΑ
Corporal Anthony "Tony" G. Mihalo U.S. Marine Corps
2nd BN, 7th Marine, 1st Div., 1st Marine Expeditionary Force
KIA Helmand Province, Afghanistan 08/14/08
Corporal James M. Hale U.S. Army
978th Military Police Co, 93rd Military Police BN
KIA Baghdad, Iraq 08/13/08
Lance Corporal Nicholas D. Larson U.S. Marine Corps
3rd. Bat., 1st Marines, 1st Marine
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
5. Blue Star Memorial cross: Samuel Watts
The DuPage County Veterans Memorial, which lists all of the county's war dead since the Black Hawk War, can be seen in the background.
KIA Fallujah, Iraq 11/09/2004
Captain Eric D. Terhune U.S. Marine Corps
2nd BN, 7th Marine, 1st Div., 1st Marine Expeditionary Force
KIA Farah Province, Afghanistan 06/19/08
Sergeant Jack Taft Hennessy U.S. Army
1st. Battallon, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
KIA Baghdad, Iraq 10/01/2004
Private 1st Class David Pietrek U.S. Marine Corps
2nd BN. 7th Marine, 1st Div. 1st Marine Expeditionary Force
KIA Farah Province, Afghanistan 06/14/08
ΚΙΑ Private 1st Class Shawn C. Edwards
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
6. Blue Star Memorial cross: Mario Brieve
121st Signal Battallon, 1st Infantry Division
KIA Samarra, Iraq 04/23/2004
Staff Sergeant Robert Miller U.S. Army
Co. A, 3rd. Battalion. 3rd. Special Forces Group
KIA Barikowt, Afghanistan 1/25/08
Staff Sergeant Andrew R. Pokorny U.S. Army
3rd Air Def. Artillery, 3rd Armored Cav.
KIA Al Asad, Iraq 06/13/2003
Sergeant Joseph M. Vanek U.S. Army
2nd BN, 325th Airborne Infantry Reg 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Div
ΚΙΑ Bagdad, Iraq 11/12/07
Navy Commander Dan Shanower U.S. Navy
Killed U.S. Dept.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
7. Blue Star Memorial cross: Kevin Oratowski
Washington D.C. 09/11/2001
Erected by District II, Garden Clubs of Illinois, Inc.; County of DuPage.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: 9/11 Attacks • War, 2nd Iraq • War, Afghanistan. In addition, it is included in the Medal of Honor Recipients series list.
Location. 41° 51.979′ N, 88° 8.334′ W. Memorial is in Wheaton, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is on County Farm Road near Manchester Road. The marker and surrounded crosses
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
8. Blue Star Memorial cross: Sean Cardelli
Regionally, this memorial is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
9. Blue Star Memorial cross: Gunnar Hotchkin
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Gold Star Families Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Robert J. Miller (within shouting distance of this marker); Fred Faulkner Lester (within shouting distance of this marker); James W. Robinson Jr. (within shouting distance of this marker); Wells H. Blodgett (within shouting distance of this marker); The Medal of Honor (within shouting distance of this marker); James H. Monroe (within shouting distance of this marker);
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
10. Blue Star Memorial: Adam Kaiser
More about this memorial. About two dozen crosses surround the standard Blue Star Memorial marker.
Regarding Blue Star Memorial. Each of people listed on the crosses died either on 9/11, in Iraq or in Afghanistan. The earliest death in this memorial is Dan Shanower, a Naperville native who was working in the Pentagon on September 11th; the most recent is Samuel Watts of Wheaton, who died in 2012 after
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
11. Blue Star Memorial cross: Jeremy Bessa
Also named on the cross is Robert Miller, the most recent DuPage County resident to receive the Medal of Honor. He was 24 years old in 2008 when he sacrificed his life to save those of his comrades; he was presented the Medal of Honor in 2010.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
12. Blue Star Memorial cross: Christopher Alcozer
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
13. Blue Star Memorial cross: Kevin Grieco
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
14. Blue Star Memorial cross: Jeffrey Williams
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
15. Blue Star Memorial cross; Leonard Gulczynski
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
16. Blue Star Memorial cross: David Caruso
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
17. Blue Star Memorial cross: Anthony "Tony" Mihalo
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
18. Blue Star Memorial cross: James Hale
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
19. Blue Star Memorial cross: Nicholas Larson
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
20. Blue Star Memorial cross: Eric Terhune
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
21. Blue Star Memorial cross: Jack Taft Hennessy
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
22. Blue Star Memorial cross: David Pietrek
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
23. Blue Star Memorial cross: Shawn Edwards
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
24. Blue Star Memorial cross: Robert Miller
Courtesy of the United States Army
25. Medal of Honor recipient Robert James Miller (1983-2008)
Staff Sergeant Miller grew up in Wheaton and graduated from Wheaton North High School. He was killed in battle in Afghanistan in January 2008, and received the Medal of Honor in 2010 for his actions in that fight.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
26. Blue Star Memorial: Andrew Pokorny
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
27. Blue Star Memorial cross: Joseph Vanek
DuPage County's law enforcement memorial can be seen in the rear.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 11, 2025
28. Blue Star Memorial cross: Dan Shanower
Shanower, a 1979 graduate of Naperville Central High School, died on September 11, 2001, when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon. A 9/11 memorial on Naperville's riverwalk is named in honor of Commander Shanower. That memorial's database listing is linked below.
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 79 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. submitted on November 20, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 25. submitted on September 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 26, 27, 28. submitted on November 20, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
