Thank You Veterans

Lorraine Egan was still at Crystal Lake Central High School when Pearl Harbor was bombed and she decided to joined the Navy's as among the first of the WAVES units.

Goodwill’s Veteran Career Resource Program helps veterans find employment by providing one-on-one job readiness training, comprehensive support services and employment referrals for Sauk Valley veterans.

The Honor Flight of the Quad Cities honors veterans by pairing them with volunteer guardians for a day-long trip to Washington D.C., where they can share personal experiences and make connections with other veterans.

Peter Cirelli reflects on time in WWII as he ran a Toyko kitchen for Army General Douglas MacArthur and created unlikely friendships.

Being recognized as a 50-year continuous member of Dixon American Legion Post 12 was something that Charlie “Chuck” Willett said surprised him and he was honored to receive.

“I remember my first sight of the shop and it shocked me,” he recalled. “It was in dry dock for repairs, just coming home from a major battle and had suffered heavy damage. Being young, I believe I realized for the first time how serious things could get.”

The Valor Support Project takes requests for assistance from veterans in the Sauk Valley. Headed up by retired Army Sgt. Floyd Dunn of Sterling, it is a non-profit organization aimed at assisting veterans facing financial, physical and mental health challenges.

Dave Anderson and Karen Pielin’s digging into their parents’ scrapbooks and photos provided them an in-depth look at what life was like for a young couple during World War II, and now they’re working on a book of their own.

An idea discussed one night by two veterans, Max Valdez and Joe Guereca, at the Coal City Area Club was brought to life in just a few weeks. Leading to the first Operation Firm Handshake Veterans Picnic in 2013.

The 40&8 isn't new to Morris as a veteran group, but it was revived in 2018 by Jerry Terando, Steve Huetteman and Chef de Gare of Voiture Rob Dettman.

Who are the veterans honored on the flagpole at Immaculate Conception church? Morris resident Rick Martino works with the Veterans Legacy Center to find out.

The Tag-a-Long Dog Park at 605 Michael St. is a product of volunteerism around Morris, first springing up as a Girl Scout project from Emily Lamaze before it took on a life of its own, becoming the pet project of area resident Jerry Cyrkiel.

Mike Kenyon, a U.S. Army veteran from South Elgin, served nearly two decades on the Kane County Board, and nearly 10 years with the Kane County Farm Bureau.

Maggie Hill followed her aunt into the service and deployed to Kuwait for 10 months in 2014. Now Hill, a 2005 Oswego graduate, is a mentor to teens as a special education teacher at the high school and Oswego’s cheerleading coach.

While combing through old things at the sale, John Wright of DeKalb, local collector of historical military artifacts, found something he’d never encountered: a nearly completely filled out World War I Service Record. It details the life of Sgt. Albert Walter Leonhard.

As an optometrist, Ronald Weingart wants to improve the quality of life for the patients he sees.

Jason Stucky credits his time in the military with leading him to a fulfilling career and a loving family.

The Marines called him “Gramps” – Gordon Parks was only 23 – but the moniker was respectful. After two tours in Vietnam, Parks carried himself with authority and even his commanding officer took note.

Cpl. Ronald Baker was killed by German forces in August 1944 in an area of northwest France.

The only Revolutionary War veteran buried in Whiteside County was honored Saturday, Oct. 5, by the Kishwaukee Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, which installed a commemorative plaque at a cemetery southeast of Albany.

Newman assistant football coach Todd Messer brings a valuable perspective as a marine veteran and retired police officer.

Marseilles resident Jack Leininger, a native of Varna, saves thousands of live with his rescue helicopter in Vietnam.

He took one look at the sea, dreamed of a Navy career and finished as chief after 20 years' service. Oglesby Mayor Jason Curran encourages almost any young person to try military service, but cautions that family life with the service can be complicated and stressful.

Westmont’s Andrew Monroe’s military career with the U.S. Army spanned more than 20 years and took him all over the world.

Richard Phannenstill worked for decades to raise funds for a memorial honoring his classmates who died in Vietnam. A portion of those funds, raised 10 years ago, went to Veterans Path to Hope this year.

Air Force veteran dedicates himself to various causes that help vets, students

Army vet Dave Werdin’s name has become so synonymous with Kaneville that the Kaneville Township Community Center is also known as the Dave Werdin Community Center.

Diane Ahrens spent 15 years shipping goodie boxes to troops overseas while running her East Dundee bakery. When she closed the business, she found another way to give back to those who have given of themselves to the country.

U.S. Air Force veteran went on to serve in the Batavia police force for 30 years.

Oswego Police Department Deputy Chief Shane Yackley spent his 27th birthday flying into Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Chaplain Ken Hauser, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Viet Nam where half his unit was killed or injured, has prayed with countless number of veterans and civilians grieving and struggling with personal conflicts.

Longtime Crystal Lake resident Donna Vestal comes from a long line of veterans, and her daughter also had a long military career: “I think everybody should go.”

Streator boys and girls soccer coach J.T. Huey served in the Army and was stationed in the Diyala Province, which at the time hotbed of the Iraqi insurgency, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom after the 9/11 attacks.

Plainfield native and Air Force veteran Michael Collins was a Plainfield police officer, Illinois state trooper, volunteer Plainfield firefighter, trustee of the Plainfield Fire Protection District and the village of Plainfield, and served three terms as Plainfield president.

Joliet-area veterans soon will have a new place to socialize and access services targeted to their needs – through the efforts of AllenForce.

Dr. Joseph Hindo, chief of medical staff at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps veteran said service "is part of us being human."

Nate Atkinson served two tours in Iraq and has traveled all over the world. Now, he's leading the way as the Joliet West girls track coach.

Mendota native Chad Hochstatter credits his four years in the Marine Corps for setting him on the right path. Now, he's the school resource officer at Mendota High School and is heavily involved in youth sports in town as a board member and coach of several sports.

The Meyers brothers of Yorkville all served in the military.

Buttell said being a fighter pilot is the common bond, that being part of a group of people your age with a common background and a common cause is almost like being on a sports team.

Have leftover Halloween candy? Want to donate to a veteran fund for local residents? That and other ways to support your veterans in DeKalb County here.

Dezaraé Haley was bestowed with military honors for her service in Iraq and for risking her life to save a fellow serviceman. She now runs a local business in DeKalb.

On a cloudy Sunday morning in DeKalb, more than 100 people set off together, some outfitted in military regalia hoisting American flags while others pushed their children in strollers. The weather was fitting imagery for the day’s mission, lead organizer Cindy Hupke said.

World War II veteran Art Hrabec, 101, has many memories of the time he spent fighting in Germany

A Manhattan farm donates all the meat it produces to veterans organizations in eight states.

Michael Embrey, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War-era veteran, recently reflected on the power of "Thank you," during his trip from Chicago to Washington D.C. as part of the Chicago Honor Flight group.

Dave Bartley of Peru was stationed outside Frankfurt, Germany, as a 75 Bravo personnel administrative clerk for the U.S. Army, when the wall came down.

Veterans of wars from two different centuries are buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore, and DeKalb County locals are trying to keep their legacies in living memory.

After flying cargo planes for the U.S. Air Force, Larry Cabeen now serves on the Geneva school board.

Ronnie Reber of McHenry is a fifth-generation woodworker. He uses his skills to help veterans.