'Don't forget the forgotten' the message at Streamwood ceremony

The Streamwood Memorial Day ceremony Sunday offered a fitting tribute to all our nation's fallen heroes, but especially those whose courageous acts have been shrouded in obscurity or have faded with time.

The ceremony began Saturday night with a guard standing watch over the monuments to conflicts great and small. It reached a powerful conclusion during a table ceremony for prisoners of war and those missing in action, with empty chairs representing each of the five branches of service.

"Don't forget the forgotten" was the theme.

Air Force Airman 1st Class LaShaunda Jordan, the newest member of the Streamwood Veterans Memorial Commission, shared how she was brought to tears reading an article about how black military cemeteries and burial grounds across the country have suffered from neglect.

"The powerful histories of black veterans have become obscured by weeds, debris and the passage of time. My heart whispered, 'Don't forget the forgotten,'" she said.

Retired Marine Col. Kevin Garvey, who served as an aviator and air control officer during a 28-year career, recalled how his father, Army Sgt. Jim Garvey, who was a D-Day veteran, told him about a friend killed near the end of World War II.

"My dad was a big, powerful guy, took trees down for a living, throwing logs around. It was the first time in my life I saw my dad crying," Garvey said. "Combat veterans often hold their experiences inside, and I'm very sad that I didn't make a point of asking my dad more and more and talking about what had happened to him in the war. I also wonder about my dad's buddy - don't forget the forgotten - and my dad's buddy's family. Are they remembered for their sacrifice? Well, that's who I have in my heart today, along with my dad."