Cantigny's First Division Museum to honor veterans
The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park will celebrate Veterans Day with multiple programs suitable for all ages.
The official end of World War I occurred on Nov. 11, 1918. America has observed the day ever since - first as Armistice Day and since 1954 as Veterans Day. The holiday celebrates all veterans, living or dead, but especially gives thanks to those still with us today. Cantigny embraces this annual tradition.
On Monday, Nov. 11, spend an evening at the First Division Museum and meet community veteran groups that embody the spirit of Veterans Day by giving back to those who served.
The "Spirit at Sundown: Veterans Day Commemoration" will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the museum, 1S151 Winfield Road in Wheaton.
Quilts of Valor will celebrate and honor four veterans during a special quilt presentation ceremony at 5 p.m. Quilts of Valor has presented more than 200,000 hand- or machine-sewn quilts to veterans who have been touched by war. Volunteers in all 50 states are making quilts for Quilts of Valor
At 6 p.m., there will be the Trickster Art Gallery Native Veteran Drum Circle and Dance. Witness a Native American song and dance performance from Schaumburg's Trickster Art Gallery in tribute to all veterans.
Veteran groups attending include: Honor Flight Chicago, Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, Land of Lincoln Quilts of Valor and Veterans Garden Project.
Parking and admission are complimentary for these events and programs.
The First Division Museum, normally closed on Mondays, will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For information, visit www.fdmuseum.org.
The First Division Museum, part of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, promotes public learning about America's military heritage and affairs through the history of the "Big Red One" - the famed 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.
The museum's main exhibit hall, First in War, transports visitors to the trenches of World War I, the beaches of World War II and the jungles of Vietnam. Outside, tanks are displayed from every era, along with artillery pieces and a personnel carrier.
The Robert R. McCormick Research Center, open to the public, houses the museum's library, archival and photo collections.