This cache was placed in honor of the 40th anniversary of the worst aviation accident in U.S. history and the second deadliest U.S. aviation disaster after the 9/11 attack, American Airlines Flight 191 out of O'Hare Airport on May 25, 1979.
For many years there was no plaque or permanent remembrance of any kind to the victims of this crash but now this memorial lies just east of the crash site in lovely Lake Park. The cache itself is nothing special. I wanted a placement that would bring people to this site and is respectful of the memorial. So you don't have to leave the path or tread on the landscaping in any way to make this find.
From The legacy of Flight 191 in the Chicago Tribune, May, 23, 2019:
As the three-engine McDonnell Douglas DC-10 accelerated down the runway, reaching takeoff speed, the left engine broke away, vaulting over the aircraft's wing. The pilots heard a thunk. The plane continued to rise, its wings level, despite the nearly 13,500 pounds suddenly missing from its left side. But as it reached 300 feet, the plane slowed and rolled left until it began to overturn, its nose tipping down. After just 31 seconds of flight, the plane plunged back to earth, killing all the passengers and 13 crew members on board and two people on the ground.
As the 40th anniversary of the crash approached, the Chicago Tribune ran a story with remembrances of those who lost their lives, Faces of the victims of Flight 191.
Another interesting site I found when putting together this tribute involved ghost stories surrounding the crash.