TINLEY PARK, Ill. (AP) — A Chicago suburb has dedicated a playground in honor of a soldier killed in Iraq in 2003.
The Southtown Star reports (http://bit.ly/1kEMO0S ) the village of Tinley Park is honoring Army Staff Sgt. Michael Sutter. His family unveiled a sign at the park earlier this week. A plaque will be installed at a later date.
Sutter graduated from Andrew High School in Tinley Park. He enlisted in the Army in 1994 — less than a year after graduation. He later joined the National Guard.
The 28-year-old died the day after Christmas 2003 after trying to defuse a homemade explosive device.
His family’s longtime involvement with the park district prompted the idea of naming a park after Sutter. Friends and family gathered more than 3,000 signatures in support of the effort.
