NW suburbs celebrate veterans' contributions

Northwest suburban celebrations of the contributions veterans have made to the country continue through Wednesday. Here's a roundup of some of the events that are occurring:

Today

• Hough Elementary School in Barrington will present a "Salute to Veterans" at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Barrington Memorial Post 7706, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion Post 158 will participate.

• At 2 p.m., Cooper Middle School in Buffalo Grove, in partnership with the Buffalo Grove Fire and Police Honor Guard will conduct a Veterans Day Special Recognition Assembly in Cobra Gymnasium.

Family of Cooper students, active military personnel, military veterans and residents of Buffalo Grove are welcome at the event at 1050 Plum Grove Circle.

The school's symphonic band and choir will perform after the keynote featuring reflections of veterans Skip Hart, an inspector with the fire department, and Hector De La Paz, an officer with the police department.

The Associated Firefighters of Illinois Honor Guard Bagpipes and Drums will perform.

A star honor board recognizing active military personnel/veterans of all wars and their relationship to Cooper students will be on display in the main foyer. Students have decorated some classroom doors as a special thank you to all that have served or are currently serving our Country.

Tuesday, Nov. 10

• Representatives from Law ElderLaw will talk about veteran's benefits at 1 p.m. at Victory Centre of Bartlett, 1105 W. Bartlett Road. Bring a donation for the Hanover Township Food Pantry. For information, (630) 213-0100.

Wednesday, Nov. 11

• Barrington Memorial Post 7706, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion Post 158 will participate in several special events in celebration of Veterans Day.

A Veterans Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m. at the Prairie Campus Middle School and afterward veterans will participate in a patriotic assembly program.

Veterans will gather at 10:30 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial at Main and Cook Streets. The ceremony will start at 11 a.m. and the public is invited to participate in a short program that includes a moment of silence to honor all veterans. American flags will be placed at the memorial to honor fallen servicemen and women from all wars.

At 1:15 p.m., Station Campus Middle School will present a Tribute to Veterans.

• The Bartlett History Museum offers the chance to create a card or write a letter to servicemen and women stationed in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. All materials will be provided between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The messages will be included in shipments of Operation: Caramel Corn, a project begun by Naper Nuts and Sweets in Naperville. Every two weeks the company ships hundreds of bags of the candy treat to military personnel and includes greetings from the homefront. More information is at napernutsandsweets.com. The Bartlett History Museum is inside Village Hall, 228 S. Main St.

• The Veterans' Memorial Commission of Hoffman Estates invites the community to join the annual Veterans Day Ceremony. at 10:45 a.m. at the Veterans' Memorial site located on the police department grounds, 1200 Gannon Drive.

• Palatine American Legion Post 690 will conduct a 30 minute ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial in Community Park, Northwest Highway and Wood Street.

The ceremony will feature the Post Colorguard and Rifle Squad, which will perform a memorial salute. Speakers will include representatives of the Legion, the legion Auxiliary and the Sons of the Legion. Commander Paul Bandurski will give the keynote address.

• Streamwood will host a Veterans Day observance at 11 a.m. at the Veterans' Memorial, 301 E. Irving Park Road.

• MacArthur Middle School has invited all veterans and their families in the Prospect Heights Elementary District 23 area to come for breakfast. The registration deadline has passed.

The festivities will include an introduction of the veterans, talks by eighth graders and music by the school band, choir and orchestra.

McArthur students do fundraising throughout the year to pay for the food and decorations for the breakfast, said Principal Steve Lee.

"The kids need to see what a veteran is so that they can understand why we honor them on Veteran's Day and why we have the freedoms that Americans enjoy," he said.

• Combat photographer Bill Lueders will show rarely seen footage of newsreels produced internally for the military 1:30-3 p.m. at Indian Trails Public Library, 355 Schoenbeck Road, Wheeling. Wednesday, Nov. 11

• A Veterans Day celebration to benefit the Drive to Revive Memorial Park will be from 6-8 p.m. at Arlington Lakes Golf Club, Arlington Heights. Tickets of $25 for individuals or $40 per couple can be purchased at the door. The event is hosted by local and state officials and features a documentary video of Memorial Park, which can be viewed at vah.com/video (click Memorial Park). Phase I at the park - bounded by Fremont Street, Chestnut Avenue and Park Place - was completed in 2008. The second phase will include the Eternal Flame monument and lighting features. Engraved bricks can also be donated. Visit ahparkfoundation.org/MemorialParkFund.

• The Buffalo Grove Park District will honor past and present military heroes at Buffalo Grove High School, 1100 West Dundee Road. Refreshments are 12:15-1:15 p.m. and the program is at 1:30 p.m.

Park in the lot west of the football field and enter through the theater entrance.

• Our Lady of Destiny Catholic School, 1880 Ash St., Des Plaines, will hold a prayer service and presentation at 1:45 p.m. at St. Stephen Church adjacent to the school at 1267 Prospect.

• The Des Plaines Veterans of Foreign Wars will be hold their annual Veterans Day service at 10:45 a.m. at the Lake Park Memorial Pavilion, said Steven Schaeffer. The veterans memorial is on the east side of Lake Opeka in Lake Park. Call (847) 452-6991 for information.

• Des Plaines American Legion Post 36, the Des Plaines History Center and Des Plaines Public Library will host free Veterans Day activities 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Des Plaines Library, 1501 Ellinwood St.

The History Center will present its "Soldiers in Action" activity for children from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants can take their photo behind a backdrop and design their own picture frame. The Des Plaines Library will sponsor a letter writing program to soldiers or Honor Flight

veterans (honorflight.org). Military uniforms and memorabilia from World War II to the present day will also be on display.

From 1-3 p.m., Des Plaines American Legion Post 36 will sponsor "Visit With A Veteran." Guests can meet veterans who participated in the Battle of the Bulge, D-Day invasion and were present at the attack on Pearl Harbor.

• Cumberland Bakery, 36 E. Northwest Hwy., Des Plaines, will donate $500 or 25 percent of the day's proceeds, whichever is more, to Honor Flight Chicago, which flies World War II Veterans all expenses paid to their memorial in Washington, D.C.

Special guests at the shop on Veterans Day include Joe Berres, a paratrooper that participated with the 101st Airborne in Operation Market Basket in Holland and at the Battle of the Bulge;

Ed, Bernie and Joe Borst who served during World War II in harsh arctic conditions, U-boat infested waters and the battle for the Philippines; and Ed Block, who served on "tin can" destroyer against the Japanese Center Force. They sunk a cruiser six times their size, then awaited rescue for 72 hours after their ship was sunk.

The shop is open 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

•Elk Grove Village will have a ceremony at 11 a.m. Wednesday followed by luncheon at the VFW Hall, 400 E. Devon Ave. All veterans are invited.

• Mount Prospect will hold a Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony in Lions Park at the Veterans' Memorial Band Shell. The procession will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Lions Park recreation center and will march around to the band shell where a ceremony will be held.