Elk Grove parade to honor servicemen and women

For Helen Giancaterino, missing her son is secondary to the pride his military service brings.

Army Captain Craig Giancaterino, 27, is currently serving his third tour in Iraq and is commander of the 287 military police company.

Helen and Donald Giancaterino are serving as grand marshalls in this year's Elk Grove Hometown Parade, which will kick off at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at Tonne Road and Elk Grove Boulevard. Fireworks will follow at Lions Park.

Committee member Anne Feichter said the parade organizers have tried to honor the families of servicemen and women in the past but had a difficult time finding anyone because of privacy issues. This year's "Star Spangled Salute to America" theme lent itself to the military outreach, and the committee issued a public appeal. Helen and Donald Giancaterino responded.

"We want to honor the families too," Feichter said. "They have actually approved of their son or daughter being in the military."

Helen said she and her husband Donald are participating to honor their son and all other servicemen and women.

"Any way that we can show our appreciation, I think we need to do it," said Donald.

As they ride in a convertible and are announced to the crowd, some of their children and grandchildren will take pictures to send to Craig, who joined ROTC while attending Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

"We're extremely proud of not only (Craig), but of all the soldiers that are serving over there," Helen said. "They are the truly brave who are giving us our freedom."

Helen and Donald said they appreciated the village's commitment to honoring military personnel. The village has a veteran's memorial and a statue to honor those who have lost their lives serving the country.

The city's dedication to its soldiers and other residents' acknowledgment of Craig's job helps his parents deal with missing him. "That helps the time go by," Helen said.