Tri-Cities Memorial Day events

Memorial Day weekend events for the Tri-Cities area.

Batavia

The World War II Historical Re-enactment Society and the Batavia Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1197 will host a public USO dance, displays and battle reenactments on Memorial Day weekend.

A USO-style canteen dance is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, at the Hanger at the Batavia VFW, located at 645 S. River St. (Route 25), about a mile south of downtown Batavia.

The dance is free and will feature swing and big band music, re-enactors dressed in their class-A uniforms, WWII decorations and a cash bar. The public is encouraged to attend in vintage costume.

The re-enactors will open their encampments and displays of uniforms, vehicles, weapons and equipment to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday.

There will be public re-enactment battles of a small unit engagement in Normandy at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day.

The Batavia VFW will host its Memorial Day remembrance ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday in the Hanger. The event will feature music from the Batavia High School Band and Maj. Jeff Schielke will be the keynote speaker.

For more information about the re-enactment call (847) 347-7470. For more information about the memorial ceremony, call the VFW at (630) 879-9630. For more information, visit www.worldwartwohrs.org

Burlington

The Central High School Band of Pride will be creating a memorial garden of flags at 1 p.m. Monday at Central High School.

With a $5 donation, donors will receive a card and be asked to contribute the name of a person whom they would like to honor. After the National Anthem, there will be a moment of silence.

The service will continue with the reading aloud of the names of the individuals requested by donors. After each name is read, an American flag will be placed in the memorial garden. The service will conclude with the playing of "Taps."

Elburn

A Memorial Day parade begins at 9 a.m. Monday at Lions Park, 500 Filmore St., and ends at Blackberry Creek Cemetery on Main Street Road for a brief service.

The community is also invited for lunch and socializing at Lions Park after the ceremony.

Elgin

At 8:45 a.m. in Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa St., the American Legion and VFW color guard and rifle will perform a service followed by a Catholic Mass.

At 9:15 a.m. in Lakewood Memorial Park, 30W730 Route 29, a Guard of Honor, American Legion and VFW color guard and rifle squad will conduct a service.

At 9:45 a.m. a Highland Avenue downtown bridge service will be conducted. There will be a rifle salute and "Taps" by the Elgin Marine Corp League and Elgin Navy Club and Northern Kane County VietNow.

At 11 a.m. in Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Blvd., the Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association will conduct a reading of General Logan's General Order No. 11, the Gettysburg Address, Roll Call of the Deceased, floral tributes, raising of the flag, rifle salute and "Taps."

Geneva

Fox River-Geneva American Legion Post 75 continues a more than 70 year tradition in which it honors the memory of those who gave their lives for their country in all wars. The Post honors Memorial Day with a parade and solemn ceremonies at the West Side Cemetery in Geneva.

The parade will assemble at the Geneva train station at 9:30 a.m. Monday and will step off at 10 a.m., proceeding north on Third Street to the cemetery.

Leading the parade will be the Fox River-Geneva American Legion Post 75 Color Guard and Legion members, followed by Post Commander Dan Clark and city officials.

Participating groups will be the Geneva High School Band, Scouts, Geneva Fire Department and others. The Geneva Police Department will control traffic.

Ceremonies at the cemetery will consist of the band playing and leading the singing of the National Anthem, invocation by the Rev. Mike Zibrun, deacon of St. Peter Catholic Church in Geneva, and address by Ed Huss, a Vietnam veteran and chief organizer for the Wounded Soldiers Fundraiser for DuPage and Kane counties. The closing will be the Post 75 Color Guard performing a rifle salute followed by "Taps."

At 6:15 a.m. Monday, the Post Color Guard will perform a rifle salute at the East Side Cemetery honoring those killed on land, then will proceed to the State Street bridge for a ceremony with flowers strewn on the river to honor those killed at sea, then will assemble at the Kane County Veteran's Memorial located at the Kane County Government Center (Route 31 and Third St.) to honor those killed in the air. A final salute will be given at the Geneva Township Flag Memorial located in Wheeler Park at the Township Office and Senior Center to honor POW's and MIA's.

St. Charles

The St. Charles American Legion Post 342 Memorial Day parade has been canceled this year. Nonetheless, there are several events planned for on Monday in the city.

At 5:45 a.m. at the Baker Community Center, Memorial Day services will begin with an Honor Guard raising the U. S. Flag, and the U.S. Civil Air Patrol firing squad will give a 21-gun salute.

After the flag raising at the Baker Community Center, members of the American Legion, the VFW, the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and the Civil Air Patrol will proceed to the St. Charles South Cemetery on 7th Avenue where they will continue services by repeating the flag raising ceremony, the 21-gun salute, and by decorating the graves of those who have fallen.

Members of these organizations will then repeat the ceremony at the St. Charles North Cemetery, then again at Union Cemetery.

A short ceremony will also be held at 10 a.m. at the St. Charles Freedom Walk, located north of the police station.

All events are open to the public. Questions or comments regarding the Memorial Day events can be directed to the American Legion at (630) 584-5166.