The dedication ceremony was held in front of the billboard on Horseshoe Lake Road and Hwy 162 in Pontoon Beach.

Army Sgt. Steven P. Mennemeyer was a flight medic with the 82nd Medical Company (Air Ambulance) based inFort Riley, Kansas.

He was killed, along with another flight medic, in a Blackhawk helicopter crash near Rubtbah, Iraq.

"I thank Army Sgt. Steven Mennemeyer for his service to our country, and I commend his family and friends forkeeping his memory alive," Quinn said. "It is my honor to dedicate this billboard to the patriotism and sacrifice of Sgt.Mennemeyer, and of all the veterans who have given so much to defend our freedom."

The billboard has a moving photograph of Sgt. Mennemeyer’s gravesite with an American flag displayed proudly next to it.

Beside the photo it reads, "This Veterans Day, please remember freedom is not free. Hug a soldier, thank a vet.

"Sgt. Mennemeyer enlisted in the Army Reserves after graduating from Granite City High School in 1998.

He joined the Army in 2002 and trained to be a medic. He was killed during his second deployment to Iraq, having served earlier as a ground medic with the 1st Armored Division.

But Sgt. Mennemeyer’s service was not limited to Iraq. Before entering active duty, he spent five years as a paramedic with Abbott EMS, working out of the company’s Belleville station.

After his death, Abbott supervisors opened his file and discovered dozens of thank-you letters from patients that he had helped as an emergency medical technician there.

Co-workers remember Mennemeyer as an "exemplary medic," who was training to become a physician’s assistant. Throughout his years as a paramedic, they said, he showed a deep respect for his patients, offering them both care and a calming presence.

Quinn was joined at the dedication by Ramona Phillips, Sgt. Mennemeyer’s mother, and Pontoon Beach Mayor Harold Denham.

"Steven was an All-American hero with a servant’s heart," Quinn said. "He not only served his country, he also served his community with his selfless attitude and kind spirit. His loved ones can take comfort knowing that he died doing what he loved."

Ramona Phillips envisioned the billboard as a reminder that we must never forget those who served and lost their lives for our country. The billboard was funded by generous donations, she said.