Chicago honors fallen CFD members at mass and parade
CHICAGO (CBS) — The 89th annual Memorial Day Parade and Mass was held in Chicago on Monday morning.
The event honors the deceased members of the Chicago Fire Department and Chicago Firemen's American Legion Post Number 667.
The 89th Annual Memorial Day Parade and Mass began with a march to the Church of the Holy Family, at 1080 W. Roosevelt Rd. on the Near West Side.
The Chicago Fire Commissioner explained that ceremonies like this let families of those lost know their loved ones are remembered.
"For families, it helps them let them know that we will never forget. That's what's really important. When you lose a loved one, it's never forgetting what they did and that they existed because a lot of times people say, 'Oh, it'll get better. For some families, it may not get better," said CFD Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt.
The parade kicked off at 9:30 Monday morning, featuring uniformed Chicago Fire Department members as they were led by the pipes and drums of the CFD.
The event was followed by a mass at the Holy Family. The mass was dedicated to four Chicago firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023.
According to the church, the service will honor those with the CFD who have died since last Memorial Day, including two members "who have made the ultimate sacrifice by dying in the line of duty," as well as eight active members of the CFD and more than 125 retirees.
After the ceremonies inside the church, the program included congregants gathering around the flagpole at the corner of Roosevelt Road and May Street for the raising of the flag, a 21-gun salute, and taps.