Waukegan to honor local vets
The city of Waukegan is ready to honor its military heroes today with the annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony.
The parade and procession step off at 10:30 a.m. downtown at Genesee Street and Grand Avenue. The parade line up will start at 9:30 a.m., and end at Veterans Memorial Plaza, at West and Washington streets.
The event will include approximately 20 active participants from the armed forces and visits from honorary guests, State Sen. Terry Link and Mayor Richard H. Hyde. Units from Waukegan Police and Fire, Waukegan Girl and Boy Scouts of America and Waukegan co-sponsor, the American Legion also will participate.
"The American Legion from Waukegan is very supportive of the event," said Kelly Link, special event director at Waukegan's City Hall. "Having the Veterans Memorial Plaza right next to city hall makes it our duty to commend those who have fought for our freedom."
Veterans Memorial Plaza was initially dedicated on Veterans Day in November 2005. Today, it honors military service personnel and more than 200 soldiers from Waukegan who served in previous wars.
Parade participants will be dressed in various uniforms according to previous wartime eras, such as the Civil War, World War I, World War II and Vietnam War.
The memorial ceremony will feature a reading of names of fallen soldiers native to Waukegan, a rifle salute, Taps and a cannon volley by Battery A of the Chicago Light Artillery.
"Every year the Taps is always the highlight of the ceremony," Kelly Link said. "We are estimating a turn out around 400 to 500 people."
The ceremony will conclude with the unveiling and dedication of the new 13-foot Bronze American Flag sculpture at the plaza.
Visitors also will be invited to attend a flag pole dedication in honor of Waukegan Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Medlicot at Waukegan High School's Washington Campus. Medlicot was an alumnus of the high school and died Aug. 25 in Al Anbar, Iraq.
"This parade and ceremony we have been doing for many years now," Kelly Link said. "This is a public event and we invite anyone to come out."