DuPage remembers local fallen soldiers at memorial observance

Ralph and Linda Grieco hope that more people in the suburbs and across the country take just a small amount of time to think about the true meaning of Memorial Day.

The Griecos' son, Kevin Grieco, died in 2008 at age 35 while on duty in Afghanistan. Kevin was a member of the Illinois National Guard at the time.

“I think a lot of people are focused this weekend on the start of summer, barbecues, and that kind of thing,” said Ralph Grieco, a Winfield resident. “And that's great — people should celebrate. But also take some time to think about the men and women who have given their lives for this country.”

The Griecos were among those who attended Sunday's DuPage County Memorial Day Observance, a ceremony that paid tribute to more than two dozen county residents who gave their lives for their country during recent and ongoing military conflicts.

The event was held at the county's administration building in Wheaton, and it was organized by the DuPage Veterans Memorial Organization.

“This shows that our fallen soldiers aren't forgotten,” Linda Grieco said of the event.

The featured speaker Sunday was Bob “Doc” Adams, a Winfield resident who served as a medic in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.

Adams urged people to keep telling the stories of those who answered their country's call and paid the ultimate price.

“Those we're here to thank today live on in our memories, and in the stories we tell about them,” he said.

After the ceremony, Adams said he thinks awareness about the true meaning of Memorial Day is on the rise across the country.

“I think our current wars have helped with that,” he said. “I notice that people today tend to treat our troops in a positive, respectful way. That wasn't the case in my war, when people seemed to confuse the war with the warriors.”

Dirk Enger, a DuPage County Board member who served as a Marine in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, led Sunday's ceremony. He said his proudest day as a veteran was when he saw every house on his block flying the American flag in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He hoped more people would consider making that small but important gesture.

“It shouldn't take a tragedy for people to fly the flag,” he said.

Organizers of the ceremony originally planned for it take place outside, but Sunday's stormy weather forced it indoors.