Veteran proposing WWII monument in Bloomington park

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - A U.S. Marine Corps veteran is raising money to erect in a Bloomington park a memorial to those who served in World War II.

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports (http://bit.ly/1OdNpCa ) Dale Mills pitched the idea for a granite monument in Miller Park to Mayor Tari Renner last month. Renner says the city found it "absolutely appropriate to move forward with the project."

Mills says he has "more patriotism in one toe" than some other people.

He says he chose Miller Park because it's the only park in Bloomington with other military monuments. He's helped maintain those other memorials in the past.

Mills says the monument will cost about $3,600. He's donated some of the money himself and sought contributions from others.

The monument is expected to be in place this summer.