Wheaton plans solemn observance to honor fallen vets
Every Memorial Day, about four dozen simple white crosses fill a section of the Wheaton Cemetery.
They are lined in neat rows, like the solemn effect of crosses marking the graves at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France.
In Wheaton, the wooden crosses commemorate the lives of local soldiers who died in conflicts from World War I to the present. Before a ceremony at the end of the Wheaton Memorial Day Parade, veterans from local American Legion and VFW posts will carefully install the crosses, a kind of respectful backdrop for the day. Each cross is marked in black paint with the names of the soldiers.
During Monday’s ceremony, one veteran will step forward with an additional cross, separate from the group. The black letters will spell the name of U.S. Army Spc. Samuel Watts, who died Saturday from injuries he suffered last month from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He was 20.
“We have to continue to honor those who have given the ultimate price during the service of their country,” said Sandy Lykins, color guard commander of American Legion Post 76 in Carol Stream and organizer of both the parade and ceremony.
Both friends and family have hailed Watts as a fearless fighter.
“Some kids want it all for nothing,” Lykins said. “Some give it all for everyone.”
After the presentation of Watts’ cross, a three-rifle volley will salute them.
The parade steps off at 10 a.m. Monday, May 28, at Wheaton’s Memorial Park. The parade weaves south on Hale Street, turns west onto Wesley Street and south onto West Street. The parade concludes at the Wheaton Cemetery on Warrenville Road. The ceremony will begin there at 11 a.m.
There won’t be handouts you find at many parades. No candy. No campaign pins. No coupons to local businesses.
“We don’t allow any political statements or advertisements,” Lykins said. “It’s strictly a ceremony honoring veterans who have perished in the lines of duty.”
Lykins coined the theme for the day — “veterans in our community” — after Del Miller prodded members of the American Legion post to share their unspoken memories of military service in a presentation before the post’s bingo club.
Miller will deliver a speech and plans to point out their legacy both in the armed forces and at home.
Miller described himself as a “rural farm kid” from Michigan who enlisted in the Army at 21. He served a one-year tour in Vietnam. He’s now the board president of the Carol Stream Fire Protection District.
He wants the ceremony to create a certain kind of atmosphere for locals.
“Hopefully, they will get a sense of unity for the community and the country as a whole,” he said.
Lykins wants them to appreciate a short saying: “Freedom is not free.”
“There’s a cost for everything,” Lykins said. “These are guys who did what needed to be done and didn’t ask for anything in return except for a very small paycheck.”
If you go
If you go
What: Wheaton Memorial Day Parade
When: 10 a.m. Monday, May 28
Where: Steps off from Memorial Park, south on Hale Street, west on Wesley Street, south on West Street to Wheaton Cemetery on Warrenville Road
Cost: Free
Details: Ceremony follows parade at 11 a.m. at Wheaton Cemetery
Info: americanlegionpost76.org