Naperville display 'gives you red, white and blue goose bumps'

During a tour of duty in Iraq, state Rep. Jim Watson constantly came across walls that are meant to protect against terrorists.

Holding up such a piece of "T-wall" at Naperville's Veterans Day observance Wednesday, he said it is a reminder of the walls that still exist in the world.

"Time and time again the freedom of our nation and of the world has been threatened, and time and time again America has sent its sons and daughters to protect those freedoms," said Watson, a Marine reserve officer.

Hundreds gathered at Rotary Hill in Naperville to pay tribute to those sons and daughters.

The Naperville Municipal Band played service tunes to honor each branch of the military. The ceremony also included a rifle salute and taps to honor those who lost their lives.

This year the veterans were flanked by 2,009 flags as part of a Healing Field of Honor. There was even a large flag on a crane across the street at Naperville Central High School where renovations are underway.

"If this doesn't give you red, white and blue goose bumps, I don't know what else we can do for you," said Charlie Vladika, commander of VFW Post 3873.

Vladika's son who serves in the Army just left for Afghanistan after being home on leave for several weeks for the birth of his son.

The VFW and American Legion Post 43 coordinated Wednesday's observance while the Exchange Club and Naperville Park District partnered for the Healing Field.

"Let us not make it a field of mourning," said VFW officer Jack Shiffler. "Let us make it a feeling of honor and remembrance."

To that end, tags on each of the flags bore messages of support and gratitude for those who served in the military.

Paul Swenson, president of the Colonial Flag Foundation, said veterans inspire him to be a better father, husband and citizen. He was impressed by Naperville's Healing Field.

"Nowhere in America is Veterans Day being honored and celebrated more eloquently and elegantly than here in Naperville," he said.

The flags will stay on Rotary Hill through Saturday, but David Wentz, Exchange Club past president who helped organize the display, said he hopes it will be a lasting tribute to those he called heroes.

"They make up the very fabric of this community," he said.

There will be patriotic carillon music at Rotary Hill at noon, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day through Saturday. Also on Saturday there will be a salute to veterans at 11 a.m. and closing ceremonies at 3 p.m.

Flags are on sale for $30 each at the site until they are sold out. Cash and checks will be accepted.

Flag sales benefit construction of a Fisher House near the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines that will be a place for families of patients to stay while visiting their loves ones.

Operation Support Our Troops Illinois will match the money raised by the flag sales.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <!-- Start of Brightcove Player --> <div style="display:none"> </div> <!-- By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and C found at http://corp.brightcove.com/legal/terms_publisher.cfm. --> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script> <object id="myExperience49860481001" class="BrightcoveExperience"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> <param name="width" value="300" /> <param name="height" value="255" /> <param name="playerID" value="18011347001" /> <param name="publisherID" value="1659832549"/> <param name="isVid" value="true" /> <param name="@videoPlayer" value="49860481001" /> </object> <!-- End of Brightcove Player --> </ul> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=335809">Veterans Day in the suburbs </a></li> </ul> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=335860">Naperville display 'gives you red, white and blue goose bumps' <span class="date">[11/11/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=335889">Veterans get big 'thank you' from Geneva students <span class="date">[11/11/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=335814">Veterans honored throughout Fox Valley <span class="date">[11/11/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=335831">Elgin honors veterans in harm's way here and abroad <span class="date">[11/11/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>