U.S. Marine Corps veteran Edmon D. Akhteebo was awarded a “Key to the City” by Niles’ mayor and trustees at a recent village board meeting.
Akhteebo, a gunnery sergeant and Niles resident for 17 years, is one of several vets to receive the honor from the village in recent months. In his acceptance speech, Akhteebo credited his friends and family for the support they had given him over the course of his 20 years of military service, and said he received the honor on behalf of the Assyrian American community. He also jokingly warned Niles police Chief Dennis McEnerney that he planned to head first to Chase Bank with his “Key to the City.”
Akhteebo joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1996 and served in a range of roles from infantryman to counter-intelligence during his two decades of service, according to a proclamation from the village. Akhteebo was deployed twice to Afghanistan and three times to Iraq between 2001 and 2009, and was wounded in combat in May 2005 in Husaybah, Iraq, the proclamation states.
He’s the recipient of numerous awards including the Operation Iraqi Freedom medal, Operation Enduring Freedom medal and the Global War on Terrorism medal, according to the proclamation. Akhteebo was honorably discharged in February of last year.
Mayor Andrew Przybylo said the award was “very appropriate today in light of what’s going on in Europe” before thanking Akhteebo for his service.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.