Hundreds attend Yorkville Memorial Day ceremony to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Yorkville American Legion Auxiliary President Diane Dillow knows all too well the sacrifices that members of the military make.

Dillow’s dad, Emil “Bud” Farren, was a prisoner of war in World War II.

Dillow and Yorkville American Legion Auxiliary Chaplain Bonnie Havelka put up a wreath at the Yorkville American Legion’s Memorial Day ceremony on May 27 at Town Square Park in Yorkville in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Dillow’s dad along with others are part of a memorial at Town Square Park to honor those men and women who died in service to their country. The names of those on the memorial were read during the ceremony.

“I grew up in the ‘60s so a lot of the Vietnam veterans’ names that you heard I went to school with,” Dillow said. “This is just a small community. It is very close knit.”

The ceremony was a true community effort, with Yorkville Boy Scout Troop 40 and Yorkville Middle School also participating in the event.

American Legion Post Commander Anthony Cella, who is an Air Force veteran, was one of several people who spoke at the ceremony.

“Today, we honor the more than one million men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation while serving in wars and missions since the American Revolution,” Cella said to the crowd attending the ceremony. “Each story is unique and each story represents heartbreak to the families and friends left to mourn.”

Cella said he enjoys being able to provide a Memorial Day service so families have closure and a place to feel happy that their fallen veterans are being memorialized.

“That’s truly what I get out of this,” he said.

Cella estimated that 200 to 300 people attended the ceremony.

“Yorkville is very patriotic and they definitely enjoy honoring their veterans in the area,” he said. “So they come out in force.”

Longtime Shaw Media employee Mark Foster, who recently retired following a stint as a reporter for the Kendall County Record, also spoke during the ceremony.

Foster said that when he started covering Yorkville as a reporter for the Record, it didn’t take him long to realize how patriotic Yorkville is.

“I was impressed by the support that is shown for a very active Yorkville American Legion, the outstanding work that is performed by the Veterans Assistance Commission of Kendall County and the meaningful Flags of Valor display here in this park for Veterans Day,” he said. “This really is a community that truly values its veterans and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”