Riderless horse pays tribute to Arlington Heights fallen heroes

A riderless horse paid special tribute to the fallen heroes of Arlington Heights on Monday, in what has become one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the suburbs.

The equine, escorted by Marine Staff Sgt. Albert Romero of Lindenhurst along the milelong parade route, was draped in a saddle blanket embroidered with the 58 names of Arlington Heights residents who died in service to the country. The list includes veterans as far back as the Civil War - including Army Pvts. Jacob Sigwalt and Walter Kennicott, for whom streets are named - to Marine Lance Cpl. James Bray Stack, who died in action in Afghanistan in 2010.

The riderless horse tribute was led by Operation Wild Horse, a Bull Valley-based nonprofit that provides equine therapy to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The horse, named Da Vinci, was followed by a mounted color guard of four other horses that are used in the therapy program.

Arlington Heights' 98th Memorial Day parade, which started at village hall and concluded at Memorial Park, featured some 85 units, an estimated 3,000 marchers and thousands of others watching from the sidewalks. At the after-parade ceremony at Memorial Park, the names of the 58 fallen servicemen were read aloud and honored with a tolling of the bell, placing of wreaths and 21-gun salute. Those gathered also paid tribute to area veterans who died in the past year.