Several local ceremonies to honor veterans

Maj. Gen. William Enyart, Illinois National Guard adjutant general, will join Gov. Pat Quinn to honor veterans at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, 20953 W. Hoff Road.

The Abraham Lincoln Veterans Day Ceremony is sponsored by Tony Cutrano of the Illinois Motorcycle Freedom Run-Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial, Flowers for Heroes and various community groups. The Illinois Army National Guard will conduct a flyover and the Illinois Air National Guard Band of the Midwest will perform. Some 20,000 veterans are buried at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. The goal is to honor the veterans with flowers on each of their graves.

Residents and staff of Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County, 421 Doris Ave., will hold their annual salute to veterans at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. American Legion Post 1080, along with Marcus Galvan, a Sunny Hill employee who in August returned from a year serving in Afghanistan, will be part of the program.

The service will be held in the cafeteria and is open to the public. Residents of the nursing home who are veterans will be recognized.

For information, contact Activity Director Larry Lindholm at 815-727-8711.

A Veterans Day ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Eternal Flame on the north side of the Will County Courthouse on Jefferson Street. Hosting the event will be American Legion Post 1080, VFW Cantigny Post 367, American Legion Harwood Post 5 and VFW Stone City Post 2199.

The event will begin with selections from the national championship Joliet American Legion Band, sponsored by American Legion Post 1080 and under the direction of Tom Drake.

Master of ceremonies will be Scott Slocum of WJOL Radio. Prayer will be by USN chaplain, commander, the Rev. Ron Neitzke of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Joliet.

The national anthem will be sung by Elaine Swearingen. Ceremony coordinator Don Walden will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

Joliet Mayor Art Schultz, County Executive Larry Walsh and others will speak. As will Sean Baumgartner, assistant director of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Host post and auxiliary presidents will place a wreath at the Eternal Flame. There will be a gun salute by Cantigny VFW and taps by the American Legion Band.

Most posts will hold open houses at their facilities after the ceremony.

The second annual Veterans Day event will be at 11:30 a.m. Thursday on the center bridge on the main campus of Joliet Junior College, 1215 Houbolt Road.

Musical selections by the college's choral ensemble designating the different branches of military services will be performed and veterans will have the chance to share personal stories. Veterans are encouraged to dress in their military uniforms. RSVP by calling the college's office of student activities at 815-280-2308. The office of student activities also is looking to start a veterans group on campus for students.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9545 and the American Legion Post 1977 invite the community to attend the Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Veterans Memorial at the New Lenox Commons on Veterans Parkway.