Elk Grove Vilage in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Fallen Soldier
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 27, 2026
1. Fallen Soldier memorial
The statue was originally dedicated in 2005 at the Elk Grove Village Green, across Biesterfield Road, in honor of four citizens who died in service in 2004 and 2005. It was moved here in 2022 and became the center of a renovated Veterans Memorial Park.
In dedication to those that serve
In respect for those that gave the ultimate sacrifice
A grateful community offers its heartfelt appreciation
[Names at the base of the statue at the center:]
Lance Corporal Phillip E. Frank, April 8, 2004 • Corporal John T. Olson, February 21, 2005 • Specialist Adriana N. Salem, March 4, 2005 • Captain James S. Cronin, March 31, 2005
Erected 2005 by Elk Grove Village.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, 2nd Iraq. A significant historical date for this entry is February 21, 2005.
Location. 42° 0.228′ N, 88° 0.524′ W. Marker is in Elk Grove Vilage, Illinois, in Cook County. It is at the intersection of Biesterfield Road and Wellington Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Biesterfield Road. The statue is at the center of Veterans Memorial Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 550 Biesterfield Road, Elk Grove Village IL 60007, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Veterans Memorial Park (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Veteran's Memorial Park (a few steps from this marker); Clock Tower (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Residential Enhancement Program (about 600 feet away); Recognizing the Public Service of Bart K. Dill (about 600 feet away); Centex Corporation and the Village of Elk Grove (about 700 feet away); Veterans Memorial (about 700 feet away); Heart Sculpture (about 700 feet away).
More about this marker. This statue, which Elk Grove Village usually refers to as "Fallen Soldier," features a saluting serviceman with one child on his shoulders and another at his left side holding his hand. Plaques with the names of the four servicemembers from Elk Grove Village who died in 2004 and 2005 are affixed below the insignia
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 27, 2026
2. Phillip Frank and John Olson's names at the base of the Fallen Soldier statue
The statue was dedicated on Veterans Day 2005 on the Village Green, which is across Biesterfield Road near the library. In 2022, the statue was moved to the newly renovated Veterans Memorial Park, where it became the park's centerpiece.
Regarding Fallen Soldier. The four names affixed to the base of the statue at the center are soldiers from Elk Grove Village who died while in service in 2004 and 2005.
Phillip E. Frank was a native of Cliffwood Beach, N.J., who moved to Elk Grove Village after graduating from high school in 2001. He enlisted in the Marines in 2002. On April 8, 2004, Lance Cpl. Frank was killed by hostile fire in Iraq, near Fallujah and Ramadi. He is buried at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois.
John T. Olson and Adriana Salem both graduated from Elk Grove High School in 2001, and both died in Iraq within two weeks of each other in early 2005.
Cpl. Olson, who also attended school at Harper College in Palatine, enlisted in the Marines in May 2002. Less than a year later he was among the first American service members to enter Iraq. In early 2005, Cpl. Olson volunteered for
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 27, 2026
3. Adriana Salem's name at the base of the Fallen Soldier statue
Specialist Salem, according to news reports about her death, enlisted in the Army after the attacks of September 11, 2001. She died on March 4, 2005, after the military vehicle she was riding in rolled over at a military base in Tikrit, Iraq. Salem, who was 21, was survived by her parents and four sisters. She is also buried at Memory Gardens Cemetery.
James S. Cronin graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1991 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force the next year. He was commissioned a captain in 1998, and served in Europe as a trainer of NATO Air Force pilots. He was among nine servicemembers killed on March 31, 2005, when a MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft crashed in a mountainous region of Albania. He is buried at All Saints Cemetery.
Also see . . . Renovations Approved for Clock Tower Plaza and Veterans Memorial Park.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 27, 2026
4. James Cronin's name at the base of the Fallen Soldier statue
Excerpt: "As part of the renovation, the Fallen Soldier Memorial Statue, dedicated in 2005 to the memory of four young soldiers who died fighting the War on Terror, will be relocated from Village Green to a place of honor within Veterans Memorial Park."(Submitted on October 29, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 27, 2026
5. Veterans Memorial Park
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 27, 2026
6. Side view of Veterans Memorial Park
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 27, 2026
7. Veterans Memorial Park, at Biesterfield and Wellington
Credits. This page was last revised on October 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 29, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 29, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5, 6, 7. submitted on October 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
