In the fall of 1999, a small group of Peoria County officials and area citizens met to address the long overdue need to honor the nearly 30,000 Peoria County veterans who served in the United States military during World Wars I and II and to recognize the more than 800 who never returned. The group included Peoria County Auditor R. Steve Sonnemaker, County Board Member Roger G. Monroe, Sheriff Charles R. Schofield, V.A.C. Superintendent Thomas E. Martin, U.S.M.C. veteran Thomas E. Maher, and attorney and U.S. Army veteran Bruce Thiemann. On March 14, 2000, the project began with the first of several memorial-related resolutions approved by the Peoria County Board, authorizing the Memorial Committee to raise funds and oversee the design and construction of a fitting memorial honoring Peoria County's World Wars I and II veterans.