‘I was thinking of the guys we lost’
Many residents in the Northwest suburbs took a moment to remember and thank the veterans in their lives Friday.
John Tokarewich, of Elk Grove Village, recalls when Veterans Day was called Armistice Day and streetcars in Chicago would stop at 11 a.m. so everyone could get out, face East and put their hands over their hearts to honor the fallen of the Great War.
Tokarewich and others in VFW Post 9284 in Elk Grove Village paused to remember veterans with a 21-gun salute and raising of the American flag on Friday morning at the Veterans Memorial.
“After World War II, I thought never again would there be another war, but I was too naive,” said Tokarewich, a World War II veteran.
Although Friday was a day to remember all servicemen and women, most veterans said they think about their own experiences, the friends they fought with and those they lost.
“It’s a very emotional day,” said Don Kerstin, an Elk Grove World War II veteran. “I was thinking of the guys we lost then and saying a prayer.”
When a few middle schoolers came up to Tom Rettenbacher earlier this week to ask him about his service and say thank you, the Elk Grove resident said it felt good that they were so appreciative and curious.
Rettenbacher served in Europe during World War II in 1943-1945 and took time on Friday to remember and honor the friends he served with and those that have served since.
“It’s an important day to honor the soldiers that came back and those that didn’t,” added Rich Jarecki, who served in Vietnam 1965-1966.
Jarecki said he’s proud to live in the United States and marks Veterans Day as a day of happiness, pride and remembrance.
With a son who served as a captain in the Navy during Desert Storm and later in Iraq, Tokarewich said he worries about recent veterans and the struggles they’ll face coming home.
“I fly my flag every day, not just on holidays, every day,” he said. “It seems like more people are thanking me now than when I came home.”
But no many how many years go by, Tokarewich appreciates the sentiment of Veterans Day.
“It makes you feel good inside and it’s all the little ‘thank yous’ that matter,” he said.