“Duty. Honor. Country.”
Words that were the mantra of the late Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur resonated Monday as they were repeated over somber, ceremonial music from the Naperville Municipal Band.
“Those three hallowed words … are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn,” said Richard Pugliese, an Army veteran who spoke at Naperville’s annual Memorial Day ceremony in Central Park.
The ceremony was the culmination of the several events the city and various groups traditionally hold on the holiday to recognize those Americans who gave their lives for those “hallowed words.” A downtown parade and a handful of ceremonies at several different locations around town were also held.
“As usual, Naperville does not disappoint when it comes to supporting veterans in this beautiful environment,” said Pablo Araya, past commander of Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873.
The park ceremony included performances by the Navy Band Great Lakes, placing of wreaths at war memorials, and attendance by 98- and 102-year-old World War II veterans.
“Today we remember and give thanks for all those men and women who answered the call to defend the human family from oppression and tyranny,” said the Rev. Dave Buerstetta of Woodridge United Methodist Church in his invocation. “We honor them for their ultimate sacrifice for their country. Give thanks for their courage. Continue to hold close those who love and miss them. Give them your comfort and mercy.”
April Zhang, a junior at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville and 2023 Illinois winner of the American Legion’s National Oratorical Contest, said the day is a reminder of the importance of participating in our democracy. She quoted Amanda Gorman, who delivered the inaugural poem in 2021 at President Joe Biden’s swearing-in ceremony: “When day comes, we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?”
“The answer to her question is our Constitution,” Zhang said, adding that we have an obligation to both uphold and understand it.
“Civic engagement ensures everyone’s voices can be properly heard,” she said. “We cannot simply squander the rights generations of Americans have fought to preserve in all of our wars, or else we stray back into darkness, a darkness which is inevitable, without civics education.”
She ended by quoting Gorman again: “For there is always light. If only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it.”
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Giles Bruce is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.