Libertyville Marine to get parade on return
The route is fairly short — just a few blocks from the family business on Peterson Road in Libertyville to the restaurant down the street — but a good turnout is expected for a parade Saturday to honor a returning Marine.
The Cronin family of Libertyville, operators of Century Electric Supply Company for 35 years, are welcoming their son, Kevin, home from combat duty in Afghanistan in a big way.
“I felt so proud of my son,” said his father, Kevin Sr. “We’ll have a nice little parade.”
Lance Cpl. Kevin Cronin has served in the Marines since November 2008.
He was deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom and was promoted on his return. His next stop was Haiti for Operation Unified Response, the relief effort for earthquake victims.
“This is his third deployment,” said Kevin Sr. “He did a lot in three years.”
The past eight months, Cronin served with the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Division the “Striking 3/9” in Operation Enduring Freedom. For the past eight months, he has been in Helmand Province and served in the Battle of Marjah.
Lance Cpl. Cronin returned to the U.S. on June 30 and has been at Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Cronin, 25, is a lifelong Libertyville resident and a 2003 graduate of Carmel Catholic High School.
He’ll arrive late Friday and will have a little time to regroup before the parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Saturday from Century Electric, 168 Peterson Road, west to Austin’s Saloon & Eatery, 481 Peterson Road, where a ceremony and celebration will follow.
And no, it is not a surprise.
“I wanted to make sure he was here,” joked Kevin Sr. “He has a lot of friends. He could have gone out and not showed up.”
He’ll be home on leave until Aug. 7, returning to Camp Lejeune to await his next assignment.
Some police and fire vehicles, farm equipment and construction trucks and other well wishers will form a motorcade.
“We put together an announcement and we sent it out to the supporters on our list, which includes several different rider groups,” said Donna Morsovillo, founder of the Naperville-based Operation Welcome You Home.Besides his mother, Cheryl; sisters, Christine and Bridget; and, brother, Paul, Cronin will for the first time meet his niece and goddaughter, Grace Cronin, who was born when he was deployed.
The public is invited to the event, which includes a ceremony and celebration at Austin#146;s.
#147;We definitely want to make sure he#146;s appreciated,#148; said owner Mark Khayat. #147;These guys don#146;t hear it enough.#148;