Lake Co. Memorial Day events
Monday is Memorial Day and for some, it's a chance to be outside and have a picnic.
For others, it's a much more solemn experience, a chance to remember those who gave their lives for this country.
In Lake County, local VFW's, American Legion posts and villages are sponsoring memorial events. Here's a list:
Today
• College of Lake County: A memorial ceremony honoring the 18 Lake County servicemen who have lost their lives while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will be held today at the College of Lake County in Grayslake. The service is being sponsored by the CLC Veterans Memorial Task Force and the Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County.
The service will begin at 1 p.m. next to Willow Lake on the site of the CLC Veterans Memorial Monument, which is currently under construction. It is in the grassy area between the C Wing and Library/Learning Resource Center. Staff from the U.S. Navy base at Great Lakes will participate in the ceremony. These include a chaplain, a color guard, a bugler and a firing detail, which will offer a 21-gun volley honoring the fallen servicemen.
The 18 servicemen with Lake County ties who are being honored include 2nd Lt. Matthew Coutu, Army; Sgt. Edward Davis III, Marines; Sgt. Jason Denfrund, Army; SSgt. Donald Farmer, Army; Pfc. Anthony Alex Gaunky, Army; 1st Lt. David Giaimo, Army; Cpl. Jason John Hernandez, Army; Capt. Benjamin Jansky, Army; Sgt. Terry Lisk, Army; Capt. Shane Mahaffee, Army; Lance Cpl. Sean Maher, Marines; Spc. Jaime Moreno, Army; Pfc. Geoffrey Morris, Marines; Cpl. Keith A. Nurnberg, Army; Sgt. James Ochsner, Army; Spc. Uday Singh, Army; Maj. Paul Syverson III, Army; and SPC Wesley Wells, Army.
Gold Star families and friends of the fallen Lake County soldiers and Marines are invited to attend the ceremony. Members of the community are also welcome to attend. For more information, call Wayne Maczko, chairman of the CLC Veterans Memorial Task Force at (847) 224-6013.
Monday
• Antioch: Antioch VFW Post 4115 will hold a Memorial Day program at 10:30 a.m. at the VFW hall, 75 North Ave. For information, call (847) 356-5393.
• Fox Lake: Fox Lake veterans will host a ceremony at the Metra train station's soldier memorial at 11 a.m. at the corner of Grand Avenue and Nippersink Drive. For information, call (847) 587-2151.
• Fort Sheridan: 3rd Brigade, 75th Division at Fort Sheridan hosts a Memorial Day ceremony at the Fort Sheridan Cemetery at 11:45 a.m. The public is invited to attend. The cemetery is north of Old Elm Road on Sheridan Road.
• Gurnee: Gurnee American Legion Post 771 will host a Memorial Day ceremony at noon outside of the village's police headquarters at O'Plaine Road and Washington Street.
Mayor Kristina Kovarik has been invited to speak at the event at the Warren Township veterans memorial. Her father is a World War II veteran.
Gurnee Elementary District 50's Viking Middle School band will perform.
• Another local ceremony is set for 2 p.m. at Highland Memorial Park Cemetery, just outside of Gurnee at Hunt Club Road and Route 120. The ceremony will be handled by the 40 & 8 honor organization, which is by invitation for male and female U.S. veterans.
Gurnee American Legion Post 771 member Skip Fentress, who belongs to the 40 & 8, will be the featured speaker. He said a long row of American flags will decorate the cemetery's entrance and that the event is open to the public.
Lake Villa: The VFW Lake Villa Memorial Post 4308 will hold a Memorial Day parade starting at 1 p.m. at Palombi School, 133 McKinley Ave. The parade will proceed to Lehmann Park where a memorial tribute will take place. Scheduled to speak will be State Rep. Melissa Bean.
Also at the ceremony, members of Boy Scout Troop 323 will dedicate a new veterans memorial to be placed at the foot at the Lehmann Park flag pole. Troop member Mike Lubash has been raising funds and coordinating the development of the memorial to complete his Eagle Scout requirements.
• Lake Zurich: The Lake Zurich American Legion's Memorial Day parade starts at 10 a.m. Monday. The parade will form in front of the American Legion Hall, 51 Lions Drive, head south to Route 22, west to Old Rand Road and finish at the Lake Zurich Veteran's Monument in front of the police station, 200 Mohawk Trail. It will be followed by an hour-long ceremony.
The guest speaker is Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth Kelly. The Rev. David Ryan, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, will deliver the invocation and benediction. The Lake Zurich High School marching band will provide music. Military honors will be offered by both the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Participants include the Lake Zurich American Legion, the Women's Auxiliary, the Sons of American Legion, the VFW, Venture Crew Civil War re-enactors, Lake Zurich police and fire departments, the Lions Club, and various Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups.
• Libertyville: The annual Memorial Day parade kicks off at 9:15 a.m. from the downtown Metra station, goes south on Milwaukee Avenue to Cook Park at 9:45 a.m. for a ceremony. The VFW, American Legion and their auxiliaries, Scout troops, honor guards, community organizations and the Libertyville High School Band participate.
The Libertyville American Legion Hall is hosting an open house with doughnuts and coffee followed by an open house at the Libertyville VFW hall, 293 Peterson Road, that will include refreshments, door prizes, military vehicles and military memorabilia.
• Lincolnshire: Village officials will hold a Memorial Day service at 10 a.m. in North Park on Riverwoods Road just south of Everette Road.
• Lindenhurst: The village will host a Memorial Day program at 10 a.m. at the Veteran's Memorial, 2301 Sand Lake Road.
The ceremony will include the Army Color Guard, Lakes High School band and Lindenhurst VFW Post 4894.
Kevin Moore will be the program's key note speaker. Moore is a Lindenhurst resident, published author, lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves and president of Knowledge Driven and Moore, a motivational speaking and consulting company.
• Mundelein: American Legion Post No. 867 and the village of Mundelein will hold a Memorial Day celebration. A parade is set to kick off at 10 a.m. at Veteran's Point on Hawley Street. It will end at Memorial Park, 275 N. Pershing Ave., with a short ceremony and a speech from Mayor Kenneth H. Kessler.
• Round Lake area: The Round Lake area Memorial Day parade will begin at 10 a.m. Monday starting at the American Legion on Main Street in Round Lake Park. There will be 54 participants representing the Round Lake area and Hainesville. Members of the Round Lake Area Exchange Club will hand out American flags to those standing along the route to watch the parade.
The parade will proceed to Main Street and Cedar Lake Road where it will stop for a brief ceremonial presentation. There, a flag flying that was given to Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes from his father-in-law, who was a World War II service man, will be taken down.
The parade will continue to Veterans Park at Cedar Lake Road and Clarendon in Round Lake Beach where a remembrance ceremony will take place. Pastor Lisle J. Kauffman of Calvary Presbyterian Church of Round Lake, a Korean War veteran will begin the ceremony.
Mayors Gentes, Rich Hill of Round Lake Beach, Jeanne McCue of Round Lake Park and Ted Mueller of Hainesville are among those who also will speak at the ceremony. Also, Hill will dedicate a tree at the park to honor Walter "Skip" Anctzak, a former board member, decorated veteran and involved community member who died earlier this year.
Also, miniature flags will be displayed to represent all branches of service, and individuals will have an opportunity to lay poppies near the flags to honor service men. A 21-gun salute and military flag lowering will conclude the ceremony.
For the first time, radio station WRLR 98.3 FM will be there to broadcast during the village's Memorial Day observances.
• Vernon Hills: A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. at the Willow Lawn Cemetery, 24090 Route 45.
• Wauconda: Wauconda's Memorial Day parade will line up at the Wauconda Park District and Wauconda High School at 9 a.m. The parade starts at 10 a.m. from 500 N. Main St. heading south to Main and Route 176 to the American Legion Hall, 500 S. Main St. Ceremony starts at about 11:45 a.m.
Entertainment will be provided by Medinah Shriners, Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps from Milwaukee, New Generation Fancy Drill Team of Chicago, Jazz Steppers Drill Team of North Chicago, and the Wauconda High School marching band.
The guest speaker is Tammy Duckworth, who ran for Congress and is presently Illinois' veteran's affairs director. Donations will be accepted during the parade for the Wauconda food pantry, which will have drop boxes set up on Main Street. Attendees can bring a canned or boxed non-perishable food item and deposit it in the boxes. The parade will run for about an hour and 45 minutes.
• Waukegan: The City of Waukegan's annual Memorial Day parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. from the corner of Grand Avenue and Genesee Street, proceeds south to Washington and west to Veterans Plaza at Washington and West streets. A ceremony will be held at the plaza at the conclusion of the parade.