News

First-time Marine Week brings corps to Chicago area

Posted May 12, 2009 11:00 pm

Daily Herald Staff Report

Marines join with Motorola and local municipal officials in front of the helicopter Tuesday in Schaumburg. The landing was part of the first-ever Marine Week, which highlights the corps' work and history. Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

If you see Marine aircraft hovering above you this week, don't worry. It's all part of the first-ever Marine Week, taking place throughout the Chicago area.

More than 2,000 Marine personnel and veterans are in the Chicago region area this week for the festivities aimed at highlighting the corps' work and its history. Events range from vehicle and aircraft displays to Marine band performances to high school wrestling clinics by the Marine wrestling team to training workshops for local police departments.

Tuesday morning in Schaumburg, for example, a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter landed at Motorola headquarters, greeted by company officials and local dignitaries. Motorola has a long history of supplying communications devices to the military.

Chicago was chosen because "the Marine Corps' presence tends to be concentrated on the coasts. We don't have as much visibility in the Midwest," said Capt. Nathan Braden, a Marine Week spokesman. "The location just made sense. We want to showcase the Marine Corps to the citizens of Chicago."

Marine Week events that are free and open to the public include:

• Exhibit of Marine vehicles, aircraft, robotics and technology at Arlington Park, 2200 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights. Exhibit runs noon to 7 p.m. Friday, May 15; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16; and 11:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 17. Also Sunday at the racetrack, a Marine Corps aircraft demonstration takes place from noon to 2:30 p.m., and a color ceremony takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Both feature the Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill Platoon.

• A National Museum of the Marine Corps Exhibit, detailing major Marine conflicts and milestones, is on display in Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 14.

For a full listing of Marine Week events, go to marines.mil/marineweek.

A Marine helicopter based in New River North Carolina comes in for a landing at Motorola headquarters in Schaumburg Tuesday as part of Marine Week. Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Motorola employee Dave Eserhut of Algonquin checks out the machine gun atop a Marine Humvee Tuesday at Motorola headquarters in Schaumburg. The company has a long history of providing communications devices to the Marines. Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Motorola employees Armando Zacarias, left, and Andy Anh Hoang check out a crew member's helmet Tuesday on the Marine helicopter that landed at Motorola Tuesday as part of Marine Week. Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Marines depart from the helicopter Tuesday at Motorola in Schaumburg. Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

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