HEROISM TOUCHES AMERICAN NEW MONUMENT TO RISE.

Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer

OAK PARK - When most people hear the horn on the popular TV show ``Who Wants to be a Millionaire,'' they know the competition is over, but the sound reminds World War II veteran Jason Hammer of war.

Aboard a ship in the Pacific, Hammer recalled, the Klaxon horn signified imminent attack from Japanese aircraft - many piloted by suicide pilots.

``For a long time I tried to forget this stuff,'' said Hammer, 78, of Oak Park. ``I would have dreams and wake up screaming during the night. And it sounds so hokey I hesitate to talk about it, because so many have gone through much worse than I did. I thought time would take care of it, and it didn't.''

His experiences - especially the loss of several friends - during the fierce fighting led him to join in a grass-roots campaign to raise money for a national World War II memorial in Washington, D.C.

When he heard of the proposal to build the monument, he volunteered to help distribute fund-raising brochures. It was a way for Hammer - married for 53 years, father of two and grandfather of five - to honor those who served in World War II.

So far, more than $85 million has been raised nationwide toward the $100 million project, planned for 7.4 acres on the National Mall, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

The monument will consist of 56 pillars, each 17 feet tall, representing the states and territories, and two 50-foot towers symbolizing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They will be arranged around a sunken plaza the size of a football field surrounding a pool.

A computer register will hold the names of those who contributed to the war effort, from the 16 million service personnel to civilian workers.

``It will be a very contemplative area and will have bas-relief,'' said Tim Taravella, the assistant director of grass-roots development for the effort chaired by World War II veteran and former presidential candidate Bob Dole.

``Nothing will interfere with the view of the Mall. It won't detract from the view. We've been careful to keep that,'' Taravella said.

Groundbreaking is set for November and completion of the monument two years later.

Tom Hanks, who starred in the acclaimed World War II movie ``Saving Private Ryan,'' is the celebrity spokesman for the project.

The monument is necessary, said Taravella, ``so that future generations can appreciate what happened. Americans should be justifiably proud of the role everyday Americans played in this conflict.

``Tom Hanks is fond of saying they are a hometown generation of heroes and are the men and women we owe our entire lives to - who did nothing less than save the entire world when their country asked them to do that,'' he said.

Taravella said the fund-raisers are working hard for the last $15 million in donations.

Simi Valley resident David Lavoie, a Vietnam War veteran who was given the Cross of Gallantry, is a member of the Knights of Columbus assembly that will sponsor a ``walkathon'' Saturday to raise $10,000 for the memorial.

Lavoie said he was shocked to learn only recently that there is no national monument for those who served in World War II, although there are monuments for Americans who served in Vietnam and Korean wars.

He said he was among many who mistakenly thought the Iwo Jima sculpture in Washington, which honors the Marine Corps, was the national monument for World War II.

``Fifty-five years later, it's hard to believe we don't have a memorial for World War II,'' said Lavoie, 49, who served in 1969-1970 as a forward observer for a Marine mortar unit in Vietnam.

``And I think there is a need for a memorial so that other Americans can see and remember the people who gave their lives for our country. And this was a big, big chapter in our history and a big factor in the nation we are today,'' he said.

For donations and other information on the National World War II Memorial in Washington, call [phone] or visit the Web site at wwiimemorial.com. Donations can be sent to: The World War II Memorial Fund, American Battle Monuments Commission, PO Box 98147, Washington, D.C. 20090-8147.

For information on the ``walkathon,'' call Earl Todd at [phone].

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