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player ready...The Oswego Village Board will vote on a resolution Tuesday night that would designate a portion of South Adams Street in front of Veterans Serenity Park along the Fox River in honor of Army veteran and community leader Dave Krahn.
Veterans Serenity Park was built as a lasting memorial to those who have served in the Armed Forces and a peaceful refuge where people can reflect in a quiet setting along the river, Krahn said.
“I marvel at the number of people who come to catch up with life,” he said.
Krahn has served in multiple leadership roles within the village and has continued to find ways to honor veterans, village officials said.
Krahn was part of a group instrumental in bringing the Vietnam Moving Wall to Oswego in 2017 along with his late friend Navy veteran Herschel Luckinbill of Montgomery.
“I miss my friend Herschel. Bringing the Vietnam Moving Wall to Oswego was a phenomenal event in Oswego,” Krahn said.
The experience of watching people who visited the wall provided the vision for Veterans Serenity Park, he said.
“I saw the enthusiasm and need for a place for people to reflect. That’s where the idea of the park sprung. We considered multiple places but there was the vacant lot along the river that made sense,” Krahn said.
There were a whole lot of people involved in the process of making the park a reality, Krahn said. The park was officially opened in 2019.
“Everyone involved in the park can be proud of the final product,” he said.
Krahn was also part of a group that brought the Middle East Conflicts Wall of Honor to Oswego in 2021.
Following his military service in the U.S. Army, Krahn continued his service in his hometown of Oswego. His community service included 10 years as an Oswego Village Board member and another six years on the Oswegoland Park Board, including time as park board president.
Krahn was heavily involved in the precursor to PrairieFest in Oswego and led the moving of the event from the downtown to PrairieFest Park.
He was also a volunteer firefighter. His family once owned the Ledger-Sentinel newspaper. He acquired the newspaper from his parents in 1976 and sold it in 1980. Krahn also owned a trophy shop in Oswego with his wife Peggy.
The honorary street name sign to recognize Krahn would be placed on a portion of South Adams Street in front of Veterans Serenity Park.
Krahn said he is humbled by the prospect.
“I appreciate the honor from my peers but that’s not why I do this. I want to make Oswego a better place to live for everyone,” he said. “We are still a great hidden gem in Illinois.”
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.