Tennessee attack on minds at military fundraiser in Wheaton
Searing temperatures and dense humidity did little to dissuade crowds packed into Wheaton's Cantigny Park for the Rockin' for the Troops concert fundraiser Saturday.
By 1 p.m., a sea of tarps, umbrellas and blankets covered the Cantigny parade grounds while technicians performed sound checks and food vendors grilled fair favorites.
Nor were crowds deterred by Thursday's events in Tennessee, where a gunman killed four Marines. A Navy sailor has since died, bringing the death toll to five, as the FBI continues its probe the attack.
Concert attendees said they are keeping the families of those killed in their thoughts and prayers, and they hoped the concert would include a memorial remembrance.
"It's a great event," said Carl Heinichen, of Wheaton, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam. "You're here with your brothers and sisters in the military. It raises money for the families. It's inspiring."
Gold Star mother Sarah Taylor, of Henderson, Kentucky, chatted with fellow Gold Star mother Cathy Mullins, of Owensboro, Kentucky, in a tent draped with a banner that read "Families of the Fallen." Both lost sons in Afghanistan.
Mullins, who was set to sing the National Anthem at 5 p.m. during the opening ceremonies, said Thursday's attack serves as a reminder.
"It's an awareness of what it really means to serve," she said. "We forget their lives are on the line, even in our own country. Every day, their lives are in danger."
Deb Rickert, founder and president of Operation Support Our Troops-America, the organization that has presented Rockin' for the Troops each summer for 10 years, said the event usually draws about 10,000 concertgoers and raises up to $500,000.
"Our organization provides financial support for veterans in crisis," she said, adding it also has sent about two million pounds of provisions to troops since it was launched 13 years ago.
The group gives about half its funds to partner organizations, including the Gary Sinise Foundation, which builds homes for triple and quadruple amputees, she said.
Rickert, who lives in Naperville, said she has deep empathy for military families, with two of her sons transitioning out of the Army after being deployed a total of eight times.
As a mother, she said she feels shock and anger after Thursday's attack .
"You think when they're stateside, they're safe. But when they're going to work in a recruiting office, for God's sake, my heart breaks for those families. Where's the outrage? Military families go through enough. Frankly, every citizen should be outraged."