Parades, Ceremonies Planned To Mark Veterans Day
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Communities across the Chicago area are planning parades and ceremonies today to mark Veterans Day.
As WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports, the observances cover the spectrum.
In Chicago, veterans will lay a wreath at the Doughboy Statue outside Soldier Field at 11 a.m. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. Pat Quinn will be present, and retired U.S. Army Spc. Danielle-Green-Byrd, one of the first women injured in the Iraq War, will deliver the keynote address.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports
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"Doughboy" is the term used for World War I infantry.
In the Bronzeville neighborhood, he African-American Veterans' Day Parade kicks off at 9:30 a.m. It begins at 43rd Street and King Drive and continues one mile north to the Victory Monument at 35th Street.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle serves as this year's grand marshal for the parade.
In Bensenville, a breakfast buffet to honor veterans is planned from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the White Pines Golf Course, at 500 W. Jefferson St. The buffet is free for veterans and their families.
At 9:15 a.m., De La Salle Institute, 3434 S. Michigan Ave., will rededicate its Wall of Heroes, which is filled with video and artifacts from alumni who served in the military.
A Veterans Day Parade is also planned in Aurora, beginning at Broadway Avenue and Benton Street at 10:15 a.m.
U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) will appear at 10 a.m. for a Veterans Day event in Romeoville. The event will be held at the Edward "Doc" McCartan Veterans Memorial, at 11 Montrose Dr. in Romeoville.
A ceremony is also planned for 11 a.m. in Lombard, at Volunteer Plaza, Main Street and Charles Road.
Another is planned for 12:15 p.m. at Buffalo Grove High School, at 1100 W. Dundee Rd. in Buffalo Grove, where state Rep. Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills) will appear.
South suburban Thornton Township will host a ceremony for veterans at noon at the Township Hall, at 333 E. 162nd St. in South Holland. The ceremony will include a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
At 11 a.m., the Lincoln Park Zoo will mark Veterans Day with free tours for veterans and families, who will get to feed the giraffes.
Out to the west, Brookfield Zoo will also host a Veterans Day celebration, with a color guard presentation, memorial wreath laying, and live vocal performances starting at 1 p.m.
In Manteno, the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War for Veterans Day at the Manteno Veterans Home, 1 Veterans Dr.
And at 12:30 p.m., Yoga Circle, 401 W. Ontario St., is hosting a free yoga class for veterans and their family members.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
