DECATUR - The QuarterMaster March is coming to the Decatur Celebration.

A procession of quarters, perhaps thousands, will be lined up on the sidewalk on North Street adjacent to the Dansig Building from Friday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 9. Celebration visitors will be invited to chip in a quarter or three to join the march. The idea is to cover the sidewalk with coins.

The idea is to raise money and awareness for the World War II Memorial that will be erected in Scovill Park.

While quarters are the preferred currency, checks and other kinds of money will be accepted and changed into quarters. Checks should be made payable to the Community Foundation of Decatur.

The memorial is to be erected in in a grassy area east of the Children's Museum of Illinois. A final design has been approved. Groundbreaking ceremonies are next on the agenda.

A model of the memorial will be displayed at the QuarterMaster site. Members of the committee will be present and will provide information on how to buy a brick engraved with the veteran's name and to be used in the construction of the memorial. Members of various veterans' organizations will be there. World War II veterans will be available for conversation and reminiscing.

The project received a significant boost on the 65th anniversary of D-Day when state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, announced the allocation of $250,000 from the capital bill passed by the General Assembly. Of that amount, $150,000 came from Mitchell and the remaining $100,000 from state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington. The bill is awaiting Gov. Pat Quinn's signature.

The design of the memorial carries out the plan originated by the late E.E. "Pete" Nicholls, who devoted thousands of hours of research, along with Gordon Brenner of the Purple Heart office, to locate the names of Macon County servicemen killed during World War II.

Nicholls, who died June 1, 2008 at age 84, was a longtime advocate for veterans.

"He never stopped caring about veterans," said Orv Graham, a memorial committee member.

In 1943, Nicholls was a 19-year-old member of the Army's 465th Field Artillery unit on the island of Luzon. A Japanese grenade landed in the foxhole Nicholls was occupying with two buddies. Nicholls tossed his helmet over the grenade, saving his buddies from death. He was blown into the air and his fingers were mangled. He was awarded the Silver Star for bravery.

"I'm sure Dad would be pleased with the site and with the memorial," Peter Nicholls, also a member of the memorial committee, said.

For information about the memorial, contact Greg Collins of the Macon County Veterans Assistance office at 424-1376.

bfallstrom@herald-review.com|421-7981