Victory Memorial Rededication Ceremony

Col. Jennifer Pritzker joined the Illinois National Guard for the rededication of the Victory Memorial Monument in Chicago, honoring the valor and sacrifices of the 8th Infantry.

The event celebrated the rich history of the Illinois Army National Guard's African-American 8th Infantry Regiment with the rededication of the Victory Monument at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 35th Street on Chicago's Southside.The 8th Infantry fought in the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II and was completely manned and led by African-Americans, many from Chicago's Southside.

The Victory Monument is dedicated to the 8th Infantry's outstanding performance in World War I, where because of inherent racism in the U.S. Army at the time, it bravely fought under the French. The monument was recently renovated using funds from the World War I Centennial Commission, led by the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. The Friends of the Victory Memorial and the 8th Infantry Regiment Association spearheaded efforts to get the monument renovated. The lineage of the 8th Infantry Regiment is alive today through the Illinois Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, which will deploy to Afghanistan later this month.