Vets will be stars of radio broadcast

An Elgin-area radio station and publisher have teamed up to salute those who served in the military with a five-hour Veterans Day broadcast.

The Tribute to the Troops, live show on WRMN 1410-AM will allow listeners to phone in and share their stories about a veteran or recognize someone in uniform with an on-air plug.

"There are people in this country, people in this community, whose struggles and sacrifices made our way of life possible," said George Rawlinson, owner of Elgin's State Street Publishing, a cosponsor of the show. "This is our way of saying 'thanks.'"

Rawlinson, who also wrote "Fox Valley Veterans: A Salute to Hometown Heroism," expects the mood of the show to be a mix of humor and emotion. He also thinks listeners will get a glimpse of history from veterans who were eyewitnesses.

"These are ordinary people who did extraordinary things," he said. "I hope people will call in and pay tribute."

The show will highlight stories from veterans or listeners phoning to talk about a service member in their life, but decorated war heroes and public officials also are scheduled to take part.

Featured guests range from Allen Lynch, a Vietnam veteran and one of 109 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, to Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, said Michael Hunziker, WRMN's program director.

Veterans already make up a slice of the station's audience and the morning "Politics and Issues" show often focuses on topics of interest to veterans, Hunziker said.

"I expect most of the people who call will be veterans," he said. "We're just going to take Sunday off and say 'thanks' to all our veterans."

Rawlinson said a portion of the advertising revenue generated from the broadcast will be donated to help fund the Elgin veterans memorial.

The Tribute to the Troops runs from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Listeners can take part by calling the station at (847) 931-1410.