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Tribute Wall for Fallen Soldiers Making the Rounds More Often in 2012
A mobilized memorial for fallen Illinois soldiers that originated in Knoxville two years ago is hitting the roads already a lot more than it has in the past.

Don Pannier is a Gold Star father who volunteers his time to haul the Illinois Patriot Guard Fallen Heroes Traveling Memorial Wall throughout the state. He tells WGIL he expects to better last year's sixty-two total cities visited in 2012.

"I can see where we're gonna match what we did last year, and we'll probably go above it because I started earlier this year," Pannier said. "I'm going to a few events during the week that I hadn't done last year."

"I'm already booked for several school events so I can see where I'm going to match the sixty-two."

Pannier will look to surpass 30,000 miles traveled in 2011, and will do so with a new thirty-eight foot enclosed trailer that was purchased last month.

The trailer was parked outside Galesburg's Cherry Street Bar and Grill throughout Tuesday for what Pannier says was the third fundraiser to help pay for it. He says he's thankful for every donation because they fund every stop of his also.

The memorial wall currently honors 268 fallen Illinois soldiers, seven more since last November.
04 18 12 by Newsroom
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