A group of St.Louis-based military re-enactors will soon be playing an important role in the creation of a one-of-a-kind memorial to be built in Grafton Illinois. The city of Grafton established a commission a little more than a year ago to oversee the design and construction of a national veteran’s memorial featuring 12 life size bronze statues of WWII soldiers climbing   the river bluffs by Grafton’s visitors center, re-creating the historic D-day landing at Omaha Beech. The 2nd Ranger Battalion of STL reenactors, in full gear, will serve as models for the bronze figures when a North Carolina Company visits Grafton for two weeks in June. In addition to the statues, the new National Memorial of Military Ascent will include a plaza featuring an interactive museum with educational displays. Project engineer Mike Jones of St. Louis based Carlton Corp. says the installation of the bronze figures on the cliff is scheduled for the fall of 2025, and the museum will be completed in time for a formal dedication in 2026, on June 6th, the anniversary of D-Day.. Steve Potter, KTRS News.