Hundreds braved the rain at Wheaton Cemetery Monday morning to pay tribute to the men and women of the military who died in service to this country.
Bob Adams, a Vietnam veteran and president of the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton, praised those who’ve given their lives since World War I. A Navy corpsman who said he still remembers the names and faces of comrades who fell in battle alongside him, said those in the military may hail from urban, suburban or rural environments, but come together.
“They raised their hands and said, ‘I am here, take me.’ … They chose to move to the sound of the guns … It was they who protected us … it was they who shielded America,” Adams said.
Today, Adams works to provide assistance to veterans who have fallen on hard times or have difficulty assimilating into civilian life. Adams, along with Dirk Enger, a retired U.S. Marine who served in Desert Shield, founded the Midwest Shelter in 2006, which offers housing, financial assistance, food assistance and other supportive services.
The shelter has helped 86 veterans lead a more self-sufficient life, Enger said. It soon will open a housing unit for female veterans on Naperville Road, joining the affordable housing unit on West Street in Wheaton. The two facilities were named after Wheaton North High School graduates who died in military service — Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Larson, who was killed in Iraq in 2004, and Army Staff Sgt. Robert Miller, a Medal of Honor recipient, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2008.
“We’re doing what we can to help our fellow veterans get back on their feet,” said Enger, who carried a folded U.S. flag in his white-gloved hands during the parade which was hosted by American Legion Post 76 in Carol Stream. It featured featured marching bands from area schools, World War II re-enactors, elected officials and scout troops, and proceeded despite a steady rainfall.
“We’re not Arlington Heights. We don’t cancel something like this for a little rain,” quipped Sandy Lykins, the VFW parade coordinator, who has helped organize the annual parade for more than 10 years.
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The ceremonies were capped off by the placing of a ceremonial wreath, the mournful sounds of Taps and a 21-gun salute.
Rep. Jeanne Ives, a Wheaton Republican, West Point graduate and U.S. Army veteran, skipped a legislative session in Springfield today to attend. Ives, whose son is currently in Army Ranger School, said it was more important to her to honor the fallen service men and women, and to preserve the meaning of Memorial Day, rather than allowing it to become another holiday.
“Their sacrifice is something we must remember,” Ives said.
“We have to make sure that we remember this day and why we take time to remember the fallen men and women in uniform so future generations will understand their sacrifices,” Ives said.
Keown is a freelance reporter.