Honoring all who served
H
ometown eroes
U.S. NAVY FLOATING AIRPORT
HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY
PUBLISHED BY ROCK VALLEY PUBLISHING 2023
ROCKFORD’S CAMP GRANT
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HOMETOWN HEROES
NOV. 2023
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Rockford native serves aboard History of Veterans Day U.S. Navy floating airport NOV. 2023
By Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Beverly Taylor
P
NAVY OFFICE OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH
etty Officer 3rd Class Will Sheley, a native of Rockford, Illinois, is one of more than 5,000 sailors serving aboard the self-contained mobile airport, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Sheley graduated in 2016 from Guilford High School. The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Rockford. “Growing up in Rockford taught me to make something out of my life and to put my own stamp on the world,” said Sheley. “They taught me to work hard to get the most out of life and always make a presence.” Sheley joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Sheley serves as a master-at-arms. “I joined the Navy to find a positive outlet to live my life in a way that is also fulfilling to me,” said Sheley. “I was also super influenced by my family. I had a grandfather in the Army in Vietnam and another grandfather who was an officer in the Air Force during the Korean War,” said Sheley. “I also had a greatgrandfather in the Marines in World War II. They all lived to have full lives and I found that I could really look up to that. We swap military stories all the time and it is really awesome.” Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces. For more than 100 years, they have projected power, sustained sea control, bolstered deterrence, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maintained enduring commitments worldwide. According to Navy officials, aircraft carriers are versatile and have unique mission capabilities that make them a more strategic asset for the Navy than fixed-site bases. They are often the first response in a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere in the world. In addition, no other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a fullsized, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility and the combat
Petty Officer 3rd Class Will Sheley, a native of Rockford, is serving aboard the self-contained mobile airport, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 3RD CLASS JEREOME FJELD Hometown Heroes
capability of its air wing. “Mighty IKE” is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of only four fivestar U.S. Army generals and a hero of World War II who would later serve as the 34th president of the United States. Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, the carrier is longer than three football fields at 1,092 feet. The ship is 252 feet wide and weighs more than 100,000 tons. This year commemorates 50 years of women flying in the U.S. Navy. In 1973, the first eight women began flight school in Pensacola, Florida. Six of them, known as “The First Six,” earned their “Wings of Gold” one year later. Over the past 50 years, the Navy has expanded its roles for women to lead and serve globally, and today women aviators project power from the sea in every type of Navy, Marine
Corps and Coast Guard aircraft. According to Navy officials, our nation and our Navy are stronger because of their service. Serving in the Navy means Sheley is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy. “The Navy really impacts national defense when we show the world that we are the big dogs,” said Sheley. “Our presence allows civilians to worry just a little less and to live their own dreams and put their own stamp on the world.” With 90 percent of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy. Sheley has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service. “It was a big accomplishment for me when I got a Flag Letter of Commendation from a rear admiral,” said Sheley. “When the USS George Washington suffered from sailors who had committed suicide, I worked over there for about a month to help out by taking up some shifts in security. But more than that, I was able to help bring back the positive attitude and show them some encouragement.” As Sheley and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy. “It gives me a sense of pride to serve in the Navy,” said Sheley. “There are a lot of avenues that allow us to grow and find out what we want out of this world.” Sheley is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible. “I definitely want to thank my mom but also my whole family including my brother, sister and stepdad,” added Sheley. “We all went through a lot together and we didn’t fall into a loop of getting stuck in the city. They kept me on a straight and narrow path and showed me that I can change the direction of my life.” “Rockford, this is for you!” said Sheley.
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Although World War I officially ended with the Treaty of Versailles, fighting ceased seven months earlier after an armistice between the allied nations and Germany commenced on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. In an address to the nation on that day, he said, “To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations.” Armistice Day was set aside to honor veterans of World War I. But after World War II required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen in the nation’s history, a World War II veteran from Birmingham named Raymond Weeks had an idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans. In 1947, Weeks led a delegation to Washington, D.C., to urge then-Army Chief of Staff General Dwight Eisenhower to create a national holiday that honored all veterans. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation establishing November 11th as Veterans Day. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan granted Weeks the Presidential Citizenship Medal, recognizing him as the driving force behind the national holiday and the “Father of Veterans Day.” Weeks led the first National Veterans Day Parade in 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama, and he continued the tradition until his passing in 1985.
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Telling the story of Rockford’s Camp Grant... Page 4
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NOV. 2023
Midway Village Museum is developing a permanent exhibit to tell the story of Rockford’s Camp Grant, and we have launched a new effort to collect artifacts and stories to support the future exhibit. Community members - or former community members - who have family stories or artifacts are encouraged to add them to our Camp Grant collection. Central to the museum’s mission to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of the Rockford region is to comprehensively tell the story of Camp Grant. As the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, Rockford community leaders successfully campaigned the federal government to build an Army Infantry Training Camp on the land where today’s Chicago-Rockford International Airport now operates. During World War I, tens of thousands of recruits trained at Camp Grant, and thousands more were discharged through the camp. Particularly notable was the arrival of 6,000 African American soldiers, a dramatic demographic shift As the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, Rockford community leaders successfully campaigned the federal government to build an Army Infantry Training Camp on the land where today’s Chicago-Rockford International Airport now operates. for a community with only 200 black MIDWAY VILLAGE RENDERING Hometown Heroes residents before the war. The camp had simulated trenches for training, medical facilities, recreation buildings, and local labor and supplies. The onset of development, and forever changed Of particular importance will be hundreds of barracks. World War II saw a dramatic expansion the demographics of the community’s the lasting impact on the Rockford of Camp Grant, during which 300,000 population. community, including how African Troops on parade at Camp soldiers came through its gates. Camp The Camp Grant exhibit will become American soldiers who trained at Camp Grant during World War I Grant also became a center for the part of Midway Village Museum’s Grant brought a new diversity to the Camp Grant soon became a significant training of medical personnel and the permanent exhibit space, and will use a region. driver of the city’s growth, as new roads housing of prisoners of war. It served timeline-based approach with artifacts Help us add your personal or family’s and public services were developed and as a rallying point for local war efforts, and stories to vividly recount the history story to our Camp Grant collection at hundreds of buildings were built with a source of job growth and economic of the camp. Midway Village Museum.
VA awards $16 million to help Veterans with disabilities participate in adaptive sports The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it awarded nearly $16 million in grant funding to 91 national, regional, and community programs to help more than 13,000 Veterans and service members with disabilities participate in adaptive sports. This funding will help these organizations plan, develop, manage, and implement a variety of sports and equine therapy activities, including life-improving programs for Veterans and training for providers. Adaptive sports are competitive or recreational sports and activities customized to fit the needs of Veterans with disabilities, including paralympic sports, archery, cycling, skiing, hunting, rock climbing, and sky diving. These activities allow Veterans to rehabilitate through recreation and encourage an active and fit lifestyle. “These grants help ensure that Veterans with disabilities have access to sports and activities that build independence and quality of life,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “These heroes served and sacrificed for our country, and we are proud to help them play the sports they love.” Army Veteran Freddie De Los Santos joined the military after 9/11. After losing a leg in a devastating injury, he took up hand cycling as part of his rehabilitation. De Los Santos is now a para-cycling champion and proud to represent the U.S. through adaptive sports. He touts VA’s Adaptive Sports program’s benefits as a compliment to his VA health care services. “The program helped me to incorporate myself back into society – mentally, socially, and physically,” said Army Veteran Freddie De Los Santos. “It has been the most rewarding experience being able to compete despite my disability.” Over the last nine years, VA has awarded more than $100 million in adaptive sports grants to improve Veterans’ well-being and independence. Recipients of this year’s grants are located in 30 states and Puerto Rico. VA awards grants to a range of organizations, including Veterans Service Organizations, city and regional municipalities, and other community groups. In addition to equine therapy, the grants will support a variety of sports opportunities for disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces, to include cycling, kayaking, archery, hunting and pickleball. Learn more about the awardees and details of VA Adaptive Sports Program or @Sports4Vets on social media. 446060
For Veterans Day: Celebrating over 80 years of collective service at the Roosevelt at Salt Creek NOV. 2023
At the Roosevelt at Salt Creek in Elmhurst, 26 veterans, with over 80 years of collective military service, will be honored in a special ceremony on November 7 in celebration of Veteran’s Day. The American Legion, as well as local students, will pay tribute to these veterans in a pinning ceremony at the Roosevelt on November 7, 2023/ 10:30 AM at the Roosevelt. Spanning WWII, Vietnam, Korea and more, these veterans are truly a living history, sharing incredible stories, memorabilia and experiences: Andy Dziagwa, 95, (Korea): Andy moved quickly through the ranks to become Sergeant/First Class and received the Purple Heart. Wounded by a grenade near Heartbreak Ridge Andy vividly recalls that day: the ambulance that rescued him had a gaping hole in its bottom, and Andy recalls mud coming up on his stretcher every time they hit a bump. He awakened from surgery and though he was in heaven because he smelled perfume (it was the nurse!). A trumpet player, he met his wife, 87, while playing in his Polka Band at the grove Ballroom on the south side of Chicago, and they have been married 70 years. Andy was in a band called The Ampol Aires for over 50 years, and was inducted into the International Polka Association Hall of
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Andy Dziagwa Korea-InTrench-with-M2-carbine
Ralph Lawrence is a proud veteran of the Korean War.
Ralph Lawrence’s Korean War jacket.
Fame in 1995. Judith Butler, 87 (Korea): A US Navy Nurse, Judith served over 8 years and has a treasured photo of herself and Danny Kaye Ralph Lawrence, 88 (Korea): In addition to the Class A Uniform and tie that he was discharged in, he has letters he wrote to
his parents while in service. His incredibly preserved collection includes every order as well as his diploma from financing school while in the military. James Powers, 95 (Military Intelligence): James taught his fellow servicemen how to plant listening devices as well as how to
break out if prison if captured Perhaps Andy sums it up best: “Most people want to forget about the war. How can you not talk about the war- people have no idea what went on! War is not a movie; we lose more wonderful people in war. I remember all my stories, I was there.”
World War II Days MIDWAY VILLAGE PHOTO Hometown Heroes
HOMETOWN HEROES
SUBMITTED PHOTOS Hometown Heroes
Visitors to World War II Days at Midway Village Museum in Rockford engage in elaborate 1940s displays in historical buildings on the museum’s 148-acre campus, which becomes the back drop of a European village during World War II. This military re-enactment is known to be the largest in the Midwest and draws thousands of visitors yearly to the Rockford region and the museum grounds. Festivities include encampments of Allied and Axis troops in the Midway Village woods. World War II Days includes elaborate and realistic battles complete with tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, and exciting pyrotechnic displays. Uniformed re-enactors representing soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, France, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Japan, Italy, and Germany along with vintage tanks, half-tracks and other 1940s military vehicles make this a not-to-miss special event.
Remembering when the Arizona was hit
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HOMETOWN HEROES
NOV. 2023
By Margaret Downing REPORTER
The late Everald “Ev” Foltz of Beloit, was a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors group and had quite a story to tell about that day many years ago. “I was born in 1919, raised in Mount Carroll, Illinois, and graduated from high school there. I joined the Navy on August 4, 1936, and was sent to Great Lakes Naval Center for training,” Foltz recalled recently. “Upon completion of training, I didn’t leave there with my entire company; I wound up in the hospital with appendicitis. I joined the fleet a little later on in San Diego in early to mid-1937. We took the train out to California. It was quite an experience to go out there and see all those orange trees. All the boys were looking out the train windows wondering what those things were! “I was assigned in San Diego to a destroyer for temporary duty which lasted about six months. I was on the deck force, just a seaman. Then I was transferred to a new destroyer, the USS Henley (D-391) for permanent duty. It was being built there; I was in the commissioning crew. We maneuvered out of San Diego and then I was transferred up to Mare Island, California, one of three big shipyards on the West Coast. We made test runs and so forth from there. After the ship was commissioned we joined the fleet. “The Henley was in ‘Squad Dog 4’ and I was transferred then to the USS Blue (DD387), a new destroyer. This would have been in 1937-’38. I remember in 1939, we were going through the Panama Canal heading for New York to the World’s Fair when war broke out in Europe so they sent us back through the Canal again. We made it as far as Jacksonville, Florida, and then were ordered back to the Pacific. The destroyers are the workhorses of the Navy; they’re smaller ships and most of the time the destroyers were playing guard for carriers, acting as submarine screens, or going out on patrols. About 325-350 officers and men were assigned to a destroyer. “Anyway, we went back to San Diego and then joined the fleet in the Hawaiian detachment that was stationed at Pearl Harbor where we spent time on maneuvers. This would have been in 1939. On December 6, 1941, Foltz was enjoying weekend liberty in Hawaii. “Because I had strep throat, I had been transferred
Ev and Dot Foltz on their wedding day, Sydney, Australia, 1943. COURTESY PHOTO Hometown Heroes
Ev’s ship while at Pearl Harbor, the “USS Dobbin.” COURTESY PHOTO Hometown Heroes
USS Blue, the ship Foltz served on after the Dobbin. COURTESY PHOTO Hometown Heroes
temporarily the day before from the Blue to a destroyer tender, the USS Dobbin (AD-3), a large ship. The Blue only had a pharmacist’s mate and the Dobbin had a surgeon. I remember waking up that Saturday morning and the personnel man in the medical department telling me, ‘I’m supposed to transfer you back today but I’m swamped with work. How would it be if I transferred you back Monday and give you liberty for the weekend?’ I said sure because otherwise I’d have gone back to regular duty. “That Saturday, two friends and I had gone ashore to see a football game, the University of Hawaii against an Oregon school. After the game, we had dinner and went to a movie, stopped at a bar and had a drink. “When we came out we saw that the streets were deserted and we commented on that. We couldn’t imagine why there was nobody around on a Saturday night. It was late, there were no buses running anymore, and we tried to get a cab but no one would answer us. Orientals drove most of the cabs; most of the population was Oriental; Japanese, Phillipino, or Chinese. Finally, it was getting close to midnight and we wanted to get back to the ship. We had overnight liberty but didn’t have any place to stay. We flagged down two or three cabs, they stopped and we told them we wanted to go
back to Pearl Harbor and they all took off like a shot. “Finally, I said, ‘We gotta do something about this.’ We made plans and hailed another cab and I pulled the door open and the other two guys pulled the driver out. We asked the driver if he would take us to Pearl Harbor and he said ‘no,’ so I said, ‘Okay, we’ll take you.’ We got in the cab and asked if he would drive us or would we have to drive and he said he’d drive us. “So, he drove and we pulled up to the main gate that was close to where the liberty boats came up to take us back to the ship. We could hear the boat coming into the pier about a block or so away. We got out and the cab driver took off, we never paid for our ride, he took off, throwing gravel for yards. He must have had the pedal down to the floor. “When we got back to the Dobbin, we retired to our bunks. We got up the next morning, Sunday, December 7, had breakfast then met on the topside of the main deck to make plans for the day. Since we had weekend liberty we made lots of plans that, of course, never materialized. “We were sitting up on the hatch cover. Over to our left was the Navy yard where they repaired ships. I remember seeing all the planes lined up beautifully at Hickham Field. Pearl City, a small town nearby, was the landing spot for liberty boats and
military planes when they took off went over Pearl City and headed around and out to sea. “As we were sitting there talking, here comes a small plane from over Pearl City, flying very low, and I said to Pruitt and Tyner, my two friends, ‘Boy, that guy’s in trouble, he’s coming in from the wrong direction.’ “About that time, the pilot came into view and he wasn’t hardly 100 feet off the water. He had his canopy back, his goggles were up above his eyes and I said, ‘My God, that’s the Japanese, that’s a meatball.’ “Their insignia was a red ball, the Rising Sun, and we called it a meatball. He wasn’t very far from us and was flying very low. I could see he had a mustache and that he was a tall man. “We were the only three people at top side, this was at Colors, about five minutes to eight in the morning. As he flew past us, he gave us a salute. “At about that time, he dropped a torpedo that hit a light cruiser and it blew up. And then all hell broke loose. It was one of the first hits of the whole attack. I can see that pilot’s face as plain today even though it was 66 years ago. That’s where I heard my first shot of the war. “We looked around and there was smoke and we headed down a deck to sick bay • CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
How to honor Vietnam Veterans NOV. 2023
Veterans Memorial Hall to host Veterans Day Ceremony Please join us on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Veterans Memorial Hall for our annual Veterans’ Day Celebration and luncheon. Doors open at 10:30 a.m., and we will begin our celebration at 11 o’clock with a Proclamation by Winnebago County Board Chairman Joseph V. Chiarelli. Boone County Quilt of Valor coordinator Shelley Johnson. along with Winnebago County Quilt of Valor coordinator Jacquie Becker will present 11 Veterans with quilts. Sunshine Stitches will display a special selection of quilts for the event. Sunshine Stitches is a small shop offering fabrics, quilting and sewing supplies, crafts, classes and longarm quilting services. A Quilt of Valor® (QOV) is a quality, handmade quilt that is machine or hand quilted. It is awarded to a Service Member or Veteran who has been touched by war. The Quilt says unequivocally, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.” To use the term Quilt of Valor, Quilts of Valor or QOV, the quilt must be a specific size, must have a label with required information, it must be awarded (it is not a gift) and it must be recorded. In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations. An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history. Then 83rd Congress, at the urging of the Veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars.
ARIZONA • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 to see what was going on. There were four destroyers alongside of the Dobbin and everyone was sounding Fire and Rescue Party because of the smoke and fire, followed shortly by General Quarters, so everybody was out. You could see the smoke and hear the rattle of the guns. The ship I was on didn’t have one gun on it because the guns had been taken off for renewal or repair. “The destroyers that were stationed beside us saved us because they were firing 20-milimeters/50-calibers. I’ll never forget one ship that was right alongside the Dobbin; there was a small deck right at the head of the bridge with a gun mount. Here was a guy manning a machine gun and eating a Popsicle. He’d been to the ship’s store. Another fellow was out on deck throwing plates at planes; they were coming in that low. “We didn’t know what to expect. Back on the Dobbin, I went over to the other side of the ship and we were only about two blocks from the Arizona on the east side of Hickham Field. I went over there to take a look to see what was happening. “I saw a plane dive-bombing over Battleship Row and I could see the bomb that he dropped. He was that close. I saw it leave his plane and go down and hit the Arizona, it only took a few seconds and that’s when the Arizona blew. The bomb went down one of the stacks.” Foltz recalled that there were two men from Beloit who were on the Arizona. “One man was up in the tripod and after the explosion, the next thing he knew he was on deck with badly burned hands. The other man was a school superintendent after the war. Both men have since passed away.” After seeing the Arizona hit, Foltz said he went down to sick bay “where I was still attached” and recalled, “There were three men wounded on the Dobbin from
shrapnel and four or five men died. I was a radio operator and I knew they would be taking muster of the men and I went back up on deck to see what was happening then went down to the radio shack. The attack really didn’t last that long but it seemed like an eternity. There were two waves. The Japanese were after the battleships and the aircraft at Hickham Field. Thank goodness the carriers were out to sea. “The attack ended before noon. I spent my time that day down in sick bay cleaning bloody floors.” “The following day, I was transferred back to my ship, the Blue, which hadn’t sustained damage because it was nestled away from Pearl Harbor. Everyone but the duty crew was ashore and the only officer aboard the Blue at the time of the attack was an ensign. He took the ship out. He was quite a guy, a very good officer.” After Pearl Harbor, Foltz stayed with the Blue, which spent some weeks patrolling off Pearl Harbor before being assigned to a task force built around the Enterprise, an aircraft carrier. The task force participated in raids on Japanese island bases and also escorted convoys before heading for New Zealand in June of ’42. The following month, in July 1942, the Blue joined a force that would take part in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. In August of that year, the Blue was torpedoed by a Japanese destroyer and was scuttled. The men from the Blue went aboard a New Zealand destroyer and were taken to Auckland. From there Foltz was stationed in Sydney, Australia, where he met and fell in love with his future wife, Dorothy “Dot” Coulter. Foltz spent ten years in the Navy and 25 years in the Reserve before retiring as a Chief Petty Officer.
Each year on March 29, the United States honors the brave individuals who fought in the Vietnam War. Supporting National Vietnam War Veterans Day is a worthy effort that can send the right message to veterans who sadly were not always met with open arms when they returned home. According to the U.S. Army Center for Military History, veterans of the Vietnam War represented nearly 10 percent of their generation. In recognition of those veterans’ efforts and sacrifice, in 2012 President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation designating March 29 Vietnam War Veterans Day, and the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was subsequently signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2017. In recognition of the significance of honoring the many brave individuals who served in the Vietnam War, communities can embrace these suggestions for honoring Vietnam veterans. • Plan a commemorative event. An annual community-wide commemorative event can serve as a great way to honor individuals who served in Vietnam and let them know their efforts are appreciated and not forgotten. Events can highlight local veterans who served in Vietnam, including those who have passed away as well as those who are still alive. • Prioritize veterans’ rights. The organization Vehicles for Veterans notes that support for policy makers and organizations
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that fight for veterans’ rights can ensure more veterans have access to services they need and benefits they’ve earned. This can be especially valuable for Vietnam veterans, the majority of whom are seniors and in need of help. • Support the establishment of a public memorial or memorials. A public memorial or a series of memorials honoring locals who lost their lives in the war or have passed away since returning home can be a great way to remember both deceased and living veterans. For those veterans who are deceased, a public memorial like a commemorative brick or a dedicated, inscribed park bench ensures their sacrifices and bravery live on for years to come. Surviving veterans also can take solace from such memorials, knowing that their own sacrifice and bravery has been highlighted and honored. • Invite veterans to share their stories. Communities can sponsor oral history projects and/or host public speaking forums that invite Vietnam War veterans to share stories of their service. Such endeavors can prove cathartic for veterans of the Vietnam War and also ensure the generations that come behind them, including their children and grandchildren, have first-person accounts of a deadly and costly conflict that lasted for two decades. Efforts to honor veterans of the Vietnam War can ensure the bravery and sacrifices of these individuals is never forgotten.
Facts about Veterans Day Each November, individuals across the United States gather to remember and honor the brave men and women who devoted their lives to maintaining the freedoms U.S. residents continue to enjoy. Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11 and pays tribute to all American veterans — including the living and deceased — but especially thanks the living veterans who served honorably during war or peacetime, according to History.com. Veterans Day originally was known as Armistice Day, which was established to commemorate the end of World War I. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day in an effort to recognize all veterans. That name change is just one of many interesting facts about Veterans Day. • November 11, 1918, was largely considered the end of the “war to end all wars,” even though the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended World War I, was signed roughly seven months later on June 28, 1919. • While Veterans Day is an American holiday, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and France also honor the veterans of World War I and World War II on or near November 11th. Canada celebrates Remembrance Day, while Britain observes Remembrance Sunday each year on the second Sunday of November. • Data from the Department of Veterans Affairs says there are around 19 million U.S. veterans as of 2021. • Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington, D.C., holds an annual
memorial service on both Memorial Day and Veterans Day. That cemetery is home to the graves of more than 400,000 people, most of whom served in the military. • Gulf War-era veterans now account for the largest percentage of all U.S. veterans, surpassing the number of Vietnam War-era veterans by almost two million, according to the VA. • Memorial Day is a time to remember those who died in battle or from wounds suffered in battle. However, Veterans Day honors all of the people who served their country, including both living and deceased veterans. • The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates women make up approximately 10 percent of the veteran population. By 2025, that number is expected to climb to 12 percent. • In 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act. At 3:11 p.m. (Atlantic Standard Time) on Veterans Day, a moment of silence is observed and continues for 120 seconds. • The last living American WWI veteran died in 2011. His name was Frank Buckles. • In 2021, 37 percent of veterans were age 70 and older, according to Pew Research. An additional 36 percent of veterans were between the ages of 50 and 69. • The U.S. Census Bureau indicates the percentage of the American population with military experience is on the decline. In 2018, about 7 percent of U.S. adults were veterans, down from 18 percent in 1980.
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HOMETOWN HEROES
NOV. 2023
Explore the history of
VETERAN’S DAY
Service members make numerous sacrifices in defense of their countries. While the debts to service members may never be the kind that can be repaid in full, paying tribute to veterans, on Veteran’s Day and throughout the year, can be a great way to show them just how much their efforts are appreciated.
THANK YOU
VETERANS We live in the land of the free because of the brave
Mayor Greg Jury, Alderman, staff, and people in the City of Loves Park thank all our hometown heroes
Veteran’s Day begins with Armistice Day Veteran’s Day is a byproduct of the end of World War I, when Germany and the Allied Nations signed the Treaty of Versailles, formally ceasing fighting and establishing terms of peace. On November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the signing of the treaty, the first Armistice Day events were held. Armistice Day was initially a legal holiday to honor the end of World War I only, states History.com. The United States Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday starting in 1938. However, in 1954, after the country had been embroiled in both World War II and the Korean War, Congress amended the Act of 1938 by renaming the commemoration “Veteran’s Day” to honor veterans of all wars. Veteran’s Day in October? According to Military.com, for a short time, thanks to the Uniform Holiday Bill, which in 1968 established threeday weekends for federal employees by celebrating national holidays on Mondays, Veteran’s Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October — the first being October 25, 1971. However, many people did not agree with this decision, continuing to honor the holiday on the original date. In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a new law that returned Veteran’s Day to November 11 beginning in 1978. Since then, parades, memorial events, volunteer
on Veterans Day - and every day.
efforts, and other celebrations revolving around veterans have been held on November 11. Veterans around the world Many countries, including the United States, celebrate veterans on or near November 11. America’s closest neighbor to the north, Canada, commemorates veterans on Remembrance Day (also November 11), as does the United Kingdom. Britain also has Remembrance Sunday, which is the second Sunday of November. Remembrance Day also is called Poppy Day, when people of the Commonwealth member states wear a red poppy flower in honor of military members who have died in the line of duty.
Paying tribute There are various ways to honor veterans on Veteran’s Day and Remembrance Day. Federal government closings, educational efforts in schools, parades, and visits to military hospitals or cemeteries may take place. In Europe, it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11. Veteran’s Day and its sister holidays mark the honoring of veterans of all wars, with a particular focus on living veterans. It is a day to celebrate the dedication and selflessness of hardworking military men and women.
Remember... Freedom Is Not Free
“The Heart of The Midwest”
100 Heart Blvd. Loves Park, IL 61111 815-654-5030
Let us remember all the sacrifices made by our military so that we could have a safer life. No amount of appreciation will be sufficient enough to honor them. Let us just pray for them and their families. We salute those who continue to protect our freedom today.
www.cityoflovespark.com
445859
Veterans Day 2023
VETERANS ASSISTANCE COMMISSION OF BOONE COUNTY 130 S. State St., Suite 212 Belvidere • 815-544-6464 www.VACBC.org 445903