With American flags in hand, hundreds of community members lined the streets of Homewood Monday to watch the annual Memorial Day parade and pay homage to the nation’s fallen service men and women Many veteran groups marched and waved in the parade, followed by the Homewood police and fire departments. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts also participated in the event and gave American flags to members of the crowd lining the street.
wreath presentation to honor the men and
women who died in service to the country. (Photos
by Brittney Ermon/H-F Chronicle)
With American flags in hand, hundreds of community members lined the streets of Homewood Monday to watch the annual Memorial Day parade and pay homage to the nation’s fallen service men and women.
Many veteran groups marched and waved in the parade, followed by the Homewood police and fire departments. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts also participated in the event and gave American flags to members of the crowd lining the street.
Beele speaks during the
Memorial Day ceremony
on Monday.
In addition, bands from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, James Hart School and Parker Junior High School kept a steady beat from the start of the parade, on Dixie Highway, to the end of the route at Veterans Park on Harwood Avenue.
The James Hart Orchestra opened the ceremony at Veterans Park with “God Bless America,” followed by a prayer from the Rev. Daniel Jarosewic of St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Wally Burns VFW Post Commander John Beele hosted the ceremony and explained the main focus was “to honor the warriors that gave the sacrifice of their life.”
Homewood Village President Richard Hofeld also spoke and stressed that we should be grateful for what the veterans did years ago.
“When the call came, they left their homes and their families and served their country,” he said. “They are our heroes.”
That’s a situation John Elashik, a Homewood firefighter, knows first-hand.
Elashik was drafted in 1966 and served in the Vietnam War. He explained it’s amazing to see the community support at the parade and ceremony at Veterans Park.
“It makes me overwhelmed because so many people showed up for this,” he said. “Some of these people are from World War II and they still have it in their hearts to come out.”
Flossmoor resident Stanley Griggs said this is his second time attending the parade and ceremony. Griggs said he wasn’t disappointed.
“Today’s program allowed me to reflect on the importance of our veterans and how they serve and protect our country,” he said. “It also showed how the community came together as one, which is so important.”