During his Veterans Day speech, Waukegan American Legion Post 281 Commander Duane Peacy urged the younger people in a crowd of more than 200 to listen to their elders, who are veterans of the U.S. military.
Peacy talked about the end of World War II 80 years ago this year and the fact that few veterans of that conflict remain alive today to share their stories. He talked about the importance of learning the stories of those veterans and others.
“Take the time to listen to the stories your grandparents and great-grandparents might share,” he said. “Ask the tough questions. Learn everything you can. Those stories of courage, resilience and duty are American stories. They belong to every one of us.”
Peacy made his remarks during Waukegan’s annual Veterans Day procession and ceremony on Tuesday at Veterans Memorial Plaza honoring the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Assembling at City Hall in downtown Waukegan, members of the American Legion, the Waukegan High School JROTC, the Waukegan fire and police departments, city officials and others walked the four blocks to the plaza for the ceremony.
Along with Peacy’s speech, Mayor Sam Cunningham offered welcoming remarks, there were prayers, JROTC Regimental Commander Ana Martinez Martinez read Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and there was a moment of silence for veterans who have died.
After the ceremony, Peacy — he served in the U.S. Army in 1968 — said it would be a good idea for young people to record the stories their grandparents and great-grandparents tell them about their military service.
“One day they won’t be here, and their stories will be lost to history,” he said after the ceremony. “For them, their stories are your family history. It’s important to know the history of your family. Make a video or write it down.”
Cunningham said after the ceremony, there are very few World War II veterans left and it is important to learn their stories firsthand, as well as those of other wars and military experiences. Until they are recorded, they are likely to be lost.
“Once they’re gone, there’ll be no one to tell their story,” he said. “We honor their service by learning and telling their stories. You don’t know the story until you hear it from the actual storyteller.”
Matt Burleson, a deputy chief with the Waukegan Fire Department, is a 21-year veteran of the
Army National Guard. He did a tour of duty in the Afghanistan war, earning a Bronze Star. He shares the value of learning veterans’ stories.
Burleson said learning the stories of veterans is one of the reasons he volunteers for Honor Flight, spending time with those who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. They spend a day or two in Washington, D.C., visiting the monuments to their service, among other activities.
“I get to know their stories when I spend time with them,” he said. “They like to share them when we spend that time together.”
During his speech, Peacy talked about the importance of the people who served in World War II, dubbed the “Greatest Generation” by historians. There was joy when the war ended, but trepidation while it continued.
“The sacrifices made in those dark years, the courage at Normandy, at Iwo Jima, across Europe and the Pacific are still the foundation on which we build our lives,” he said. “We owe so much to that generation. Their service shaped the world we live in.”
During his speech, Cunningham said people should offer gratitude to those who served on Veterans Day. It is an opportunity to honor the people who lived history, protecting the freedom everyone enjoys.
“It’s about pausing to recognize those who stood watch so that the rest of us could live freely and safely,” the mayor said. “Every veteran carries a piece of our country’s story within them. We don’t take your service for granted. We see you and we thank you.”
In the afternoon, the Waukegan Public Library held a Veterans Day lunch where Vanessa Burns, who helped organize the event, said it was an opportunity for veterans to gather and learn about resources available to them.
Richard A. Bowman Jr. participated in the event. He spent 10 years in the U.S. Army serving in Desert Storm. He is second-generation military. His father served in World War II.
“He helped liberate the Philippines,” Bowman said.
