A field near the intersection of Three Oaks Road and Route 14 in Cary aims to honor Illinoisans killed in action since Desert Storm.

The Field of the Fallen takes place annually on Memorial Day weekend in honor of those service members, but it moved across the street this year.

[ See more photos from Fields of the Fallen in Cary ]

The move across the street from the Cary Aldi was because of development finally happening on the old site, said Doug Katz a member of the Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois.

Katz said the village works closely with the organization and was instrumental in helping get the new site. He said community support has been wonderful. Restaurants donate food to keep those at the field fed, and people come and help with setup and takedown. Social media has helped spread awareness, he said.

“You see a lot of families,” Katz said, adding people come and tell stories.

This year’s field has 354 flags, one for each Illinoisan who has been killed in action since Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Katz said he doesn’t want to see the field grow.

Bill and Karen Lunsford were among those who kept watch over the field Saturday.

The couple is in their 11th year volunteering at the field. They first got acquainted with it after Bill Lunsford went on the honor flight.

The Lunsfords are working the 4 p.m. to midnight shift Saturday and Sunday this year. They come to the field in between other Memorial Day observances, ceremonies and events they take part in. Bill Lunsford is the VFW commander in Streamwood.

Bill Lunsford said some veterans will come to the field only when it’s quiet and nobody is there. Sometimes, veterans decide to talk when they do.

“We’re here to listen,” Lunsford said.

Lunsford, who said he served in the Army for just less than 38 years, said Memorial Day is a time to honor and remember the fallen.

The Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois also coordinates an honor flight each year.

Katz said “One tends to be a feeder for the other.”

Lunsford said soldiers die twice, once in battle and again when they are forgotten.

The service members in the field “will never be forgotten as long as we have a say in it,” he said.

While the field honors those who were killed in action, the American Legion has set up a suicide awareness tent to honor veterans who died by suicide. The tent is in its second year.

The tent is meant to raise awareness about veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. If visitors know anyone struggling with suicidal tendencies or PTSD, they are encouraged to call the suicide hotline. The national hotline number is 988.

Keith Lambert, who was at the booth daily during last year and has been there daily this year as of Saturday, said he wanted to make sure those who served and died by suicide are recognized on Memorial Day.

“We want to honor them,” Lambert said.

Those who wish to honor a veteran who took their life can go to the tent; fill out a card with the veteran’s name, branch and years of service; and pin it on a flag with their branch.

The Field of the Fallen will remain open until 5 p.m. Monday.