The “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918 signaled the end of World War I. At that time and on that day, Nov. 11, the country annually recognizes Veterans Day.
Leading up to, on and after the day of honor and recognition, there will be several local veteran-related events.
The following events are listed in chronological order. This article will be updated online as events are added or updated.
<strong>Veterans Day assembly at Bradley Central</strong>
Bradley Central Middle School will host its annual Veterans Day assembly at 9 a.m. Thursday at 260 N. Wabash Ave., Bradley. The Symphonic Band and Concert Choir will perform, and Eric Peterson, founder of Project Headspace and Timing, will address students and community members.
Students are organizing a service project through a snack food fundraiser to benefit the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Manteno. Snack donations are being sought now through Thursday and are accepted in the North Gym each morning. Suggested donations include individual packs of chips/crackers, small candy bars (sugar and sugar-free, no nuts), soft granola bars/cereal bars, sugar-free gum, Hostess and Little Debbie snacks.
<strong>KCC to host veterans recognition event</strong>
On Thursday, Kankakee Community College will commemorate Veterans Day with a reception and recognition ceremony.
The day will begin with a reception from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the KCC Cavalier Room. A ceremony honoring veterans will be at 1 p.m. in the college’s auditorium. Both events are free and the public is invited.
Posting of the colors will be from the Marine Corps League Detachment 1253.
During the ceremony, KCC’s Veterans Association and its leaders will be recognized.
“The Veterans Association provides a close-knit community, camaraderie, a gateway to leadership development, and accessibility to benefits,” said Kendra Souligne, director of financial aid and student engagement. “This organization facilitates outreach within the community to those who have served as well as their families.”
“KCC is proud to serve and provide an education for students who have served our country,” added Megan Ponton, assistant director of financial aid and veteran services. “We are committed to helping veterans as they return to college life.”
KCC Veterans Association officers for 2023-24 are: Jieun Loney, Navy veteran, president; Sadie Piehl, Army veteran, vice president; Bryce Reynolds, Marine Corps veteran, secretary; and Juan Perez, Army veteran, treasurer/prior year president.
An update will also be shared about the Mark Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship during the event. Rodriguez, a Marine Corps veteran who attended KCC from 2015-2018, helped found the KCC Veterans Resource Center and was an influential officer amongst the Veterans Association members. He passed away in February 2018, and KCC awarded him an honorary degree in May 2018. A $500 annual scholarship is now offered in his honor.
The Veterans Association at KCC is open to KCC students and staff who are military veterans, members of the military community, and supporters. It is an approved chapter of Student Veterans of America and SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society.
For more information, contact Souligne, at <a href="mailto:ksouligne@kcc.edu" target="_blank">ksouligne@kcc.edu</a> or phone 815-802-8556. KCC is located at 100 College Drive, Kankakee.
<strong>Veterans Treatment Court 10-year reunion</strong>
At 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Kankakee County Courthouse, room 300, the Veterans Treatment Court will hold its 10-year reunion celebration.
Medal of Honor recipient Allen Lynch will deliver the keynote address. Treatment courts provide justice-involved veterans with the structure, accountability, treatment and mentoring needed to repair their lives.
By keeping veterans out of jail and prison, the treatment court helps save their lives, families and futures, all while reducing costs to taxpayers. Next week’s reunion is to honor all of the current participants and also those who have graduated over the past 10 years.
Veterans Treatment Court was initially started in November 2013 with its first participant and court date and is evidence of the impact the Veterans Treatment Court has had on the community and those who have served the country.
The event will recognize all individuals whose lives have been transformed by the treatment and support provided by the program.
<strong>Radiothon to benefit troops</strong>
Area radio listeners will get a chance to send Kiwanis peanuts to the U.S. troops overseas on Friday.
The event is the annual radiothon for the troops, held by Milner media. From 7-9 a.m. Friday, Kiwanians will be on WVLI, 92.7 FM; and River Country, 101.7 FM. WVLI listeners can call in at 815-939-3388 and River Country listeners can call 800-656-1017.
By donating $55, listeners can send a box of 100 packets of honey roasted nuts to the troops. Kiwanis delivers the nuts to Operation Support Our Troops in Naperville, a four-star charity.
Profits from the sale benefit children’s charities. The mission of Kiwanis is to serve the children of the world. Local projects of the Kankakee Kiwanis Club include: Winter Warmth, which provides coats to needy children; All God’s Children Must Have Shoes, which provides pairs of shoes to needy children; scholarships at local high schools; and a symphony concert for local children.
The radiothon is the last event in Kiwanis’ only local fundraiser for the year.
<strong>Military Warriors Veterans Day Run</strong>
Back again Friday is the annual Military Warriors Veterans Day Run to the Schools in Manteno. Veterans and military are invited to join the run to the three schools in Manteno and through downtown Manteno where students and sectors will cheer on the runners.
The group will step off at 8 a.m. from Heritage Park, 500 W. Cook St., and proceed to the grade school and the rest of the route.
“Our goal is to remind students of Veterans Day, install some pride in their country and let them feel they are a part of it,” said Dan Gerber, Navy veteran with the Manteno American Legion.
Running at an 11-minute-mile pace, dressed in battle gear and running with patriotic flags for 4 miles, the runners will be escorted by various military organizations riding in battlecruisers and military vehicles, along with the Manteno Police Department. For more information, contact Gerber at <a href="mailto:gerb959@gmail.com" target="_blank">gerb959@gmail.com</a>.
<strong>Ceremony at Manteno vets’ home</strong>
The Illinois Veterans’ Home at Manteno will mark Veterans Day with a celebration at 10 a.m. Friday in Veterans Hall at the facility.
Pie and coffee will be served after the ceremony. The event is open to the public and all are welcome.
<strong>Navy Vietnam vet Jim Wasser to speak at museum</strong>
Vietnam War veteran Jim Wasser will be the special guest speaker for the annual Veterans Day ceremony organized by the Kankakee County Veterans Council.
The ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, indoors at the Kankakee County Museum, 801 S. Eighth Ave., Kankakee. Seating is provided.
Wasser is a Navy veteran, who spent three tours on Swift Boats, which patrolled rivers in Vietnam. Wasser served with John Kerry, who would later become the 2004 Democratic Party Presidential nominee.
Wasser has been a strong advocate for veterans over the years. He is a board member for the Veterans Assistance Commission in Kankakee County, which provides a wide range of support for veterans. Wasser is a board member for Buddy Check, a suicide prevention network for veterans.
In 2013 Wasser was one of the supporters who helped start Veterans Court in Kankakee County. He continues to serve as a mentor in the program.
Wasser served several terms as a Kankakee School Board member. He is a retired member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Jim and his wife Carol have been married for 52 years and are the parents of three. He is a parishioner of St. George Church.
Additional highlights of the ceremony include:
• Jackie Haas, 79th District State Representative, will give a Veterans Day message.
• Karen Smietanski, assistant superintendent of the Kankakee County Veterans Assistance Commission, will introduce the services of that agency.
• David Allen, chairman of the Veterans Assistance Commission, will recite the Face to the East poem.
• Chaplain Peg Myers will give the invocation.
• Stanley Olenjack, commander of Disabled American Veterans Post 34, will be the Master of Ceremonies.
• St. George American Legion Post 1164 rifle squad will fire the commemorative volley at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to help close the ceremony. The same Post will also sound Taps.
The Veterans Council includes: Kankakee County American Legion Post 85; St. George American Legion Post 1164; Kankakee Disabled American Veterans Chapter 34; Kankakee Marine Corps League Detachment 1253; Kankakee Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2857 and the Kankakee County Veterans Assistance Commission.
<strong>CEREMONY AT BRADLEY LEGION</strong>
At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, the Bradley American Legion, 835 W. Broadway St., Bradley, will host a Veterans Day ceremony.
<strong>Manteno Color Guard ceremony</strong>
At 11 a.m. Saturday, the Manteno American Legion Color Guard will hold a short ceremony at Legion Park, 51 W. Fourth St., Manteno. The public is welcome to attend.
<strong>Ray Olley statue dedication</strong>
Medal of Honor recipient Allen James Lynch will be the keynote speaker on Veterans Day as the Ray Olley statue is unveiled and dedicated.
The statue, located at 2140 US-45 in front of A.N. Webber Inc., will be the newest military memorial in Kankakee County. It will be easily seen each day by thousands of drivers traveling the major road just south of Kankakee.
The 500-pound brass statue is a likeness of late World War II Navy veteran Ray Olley and his dog, Elinore. Olley, who died July 4, 2020, at the age of 97, was one of the last WWII vets in the area. Elinore, his dog, perished during the war, when a shipmate cruelly threw the dog overboard.
The unveiling ceremony will take place on Veterans Day at the traditional 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
<strong>Mac & Frankie’s Veterans Day fundraiser</strong>
From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at Mac & Frankies, 1035 W. Broadway St., Bradley, there will be a Veterans Day fundraiser raising money to benefit disabled American veterans. The kitchen will be serving all-beef hot dogs with homemade sides for $3 a plate (free for veterans). There will be a split-the-pot and raffle baskets. Big Fella’s Mobile Cigar Lounge will be on site.
<strong>Veterans’ Showcase at Steam Hollow</strong>
Beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at Steam Hollow Brewing Co., 450 S. Spruce St., Manteno, is the Veterans’ Showcase which gathers local artists and organizations to celebrate Veterans Day. At 2 p.m. will be live music from Navy veteran Matt Strom. Food will be available from The Neighborhood Kitchen.
Artists and organizations participating include: Homeland Holistic; Dirty Bird Creations; Manteno Veteran’s Woodworking Showcase; Dan Gerber; Bhavengoods LLC; Dandelion Designs; Imperfect Me — Artish Work LLC; Guardian Concepts; Project Headspace and Timing; Veterans Assistance Commission of Kankakee County; VOA Illinois SSG Fox Veteran SPACES Program.
<strong>Fight Club Survivor returns with Basket Bingo</strong>
Doors open at 5 p.m. Nov. 11 at Grant Park Community Center, 209 W. Dixie Highway, Grant Park, for the bi-annual Fight Club Survivor Basket Bingo.
The cost is $20 per person and the event will honor both breast cancer patients/survivors as well as veterans. Proceeds benefit Fight Club Survivor.
Bingo begins at 6 p.m. and the organization is asking that attendees bring warriors and/or pictures so that they may be honored.
For more, go to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fightclubsurvivor" target="_blank">facebook.com/fightclubsurvivor</a>.
<strong>Ultimate Garth Brooks Tribute</strong>
Doors open at 6 p.m. at the Majestic Theater, 150 N. Schuyler Ave., Kankakee, for The Ultimate Garth Brooks Tribute with Shawn Gerhard. The event is a benefit concert for Manteno-based veteran nonprofit, Project Headspace and Timing. At 7 p.m., opening act Chris James performs and, at 8 p.m., is the main event. The night will feature raffles, a silent auction and drinks.
For tickets, go to <a href="https://bit.ly/3FwH1r4" target="_blank">bit.ly/3FwH1r4</a>.
<strong>Vet-to-Vet Café</strong>
From 9-11 a.m. Nov. 15, all veterans are invited to the UpliftedCare Community Grief Center — 3115 N. 1000 West Road, Bourbonnais (at the corner of Career Center Road and Route 102) — to attend the Vet-To-Vet Café.
Veterans will have the opportunity to meet other community veterans, share stories, access resources and make new connections. Coffee and light snacks are provided. For more information or to register, call 815-939-4141.
Veterans Day paper With the U.S. Postal Services being closed on Nov. 11, the Daily Journal will print and mail its weekend edition on Friday, Nov. 10.
With the U.S. Postal Services being closed on Nov. 11, the Daily Journal will print and mail its weekend edition on Friday, Nov. 10.