Air Force major general with local roots honors veterans in O'Fallon, Ill., ceremony

Returning here as an adult in the Air Force only made sense to Maj. Gen. Laura L. Lenderman.

She spent some of her years as a teenager in O'Fallon, Illinois, and said the spirit of service here inspired her to join the U.S. Air Force.

In full uniform — and cautioning the crowd to catch her hat if it got caught in the occasionally strong breeze — Lenderman spoke Monday to about 150 people gathered at the O'Fallon Veterans Monument, 737 East Wesley Drive. Her speech was part of a dedication ceremony for the 20 veterans whose names were recently inscribed on the monument.

The memorial features 15 granite pillars within a five-pointed star, each pillar representing attributes such as patriotism, bravery, duty, loyalty and valor. Names of more than 1,500 local veterans are engraved on the pillars. Monday's dedication was for veterans inscribed on the "Strength" pillar.