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

Wierzba Memorial Park

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 8, 2026

1. Wierzba Memorial Park Marker

Inscription. Dedicated in memory of Marine Cpl. Edwin R. Wierzba who gave his life for his country in Vietnam. Oct. 24, 1947 — Feb. 5, 1968

Erected by Bridgeview Park District.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • War, Vietnam. A significant historical date for this entry is February 5, 1968.

Location. 41° 44.979′ N, 87° 48.266′ W. Memorial is in Bridgeview, Illinois, in Cook County. It is at the intersection of Oketo Avenue and 78th Street on Oketo Avenue. Touch for map. Memorial is in this post office area: Bridgeview IL 60455, 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,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bridgeview Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4

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miles away); Dedicated to the Memory of Clayton Lund, Bridgeview's Veterans and the Pioneers of Bridgeview (approx. 0.4 miles away); George J. Cizek (approx. 0.9 miles away); Resurrection Cemetery (approx. 0.9 miles away); Saint John Paul II (approx. 1.3 miles away); a different marker also named Resurrection Cemetery (approx. 1.4 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 1½ miles away); Old Glory (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bridgeview.

Regarding Wierzba Memorial Park. According to a February 9, 1968 Chicago Tribune article about local men who were killed in Vietnam, Wierzba was killed in a fire fight against the Viet Cong in Quang Tri. The paper said his home address was 7548 Beloit in Bridgeview, which is two blocks west and two blocks north of this memorial in the northwest corner of his namesake park. Wierzba graduated from Argo Community High School in nearby Summit in 1965.

Also see . . . Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: Edwin Rudolph Wierzba. (Submitted on March 9, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Cpl. Edwin R. Wierzba USMC image. Click for full size.

via The Wall of Faces, unknown

2. Cpl. Edwin R. Wierzba USMC

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 8, 2026

3. Wierzba Memorial Park Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 21 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on March 8, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 2. submitted on May 20, 2026, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on March 8, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.