Lombard ceremony to honor WWII vets

Lombard's Memorial Day ceremony will take on a special theme this year, honoring World War II veterans at noon Monday in the sunken garden at Lombard Common park at the corner of St. Charles Road and Grace Street.

With the attack on Pearl Harbor now 70 years in the past and World War II veterans aging and dying fast, now is the time to honor the veterans of that war, said Lombard police Lt. Scott Watkins, who is organizing the ceremony.

Stories of World War II soldiers who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, persevered four years as a prisoner of war in Japanese custody, or met Harry Truman or Dwight D. Eisenhower will be shared, Watkins said.

“We need to get the message out there of their story and remind people of the things they did and the sacrifices they made for our country,” Watkins said. “These people did a lot and they saw a lot, and a lot of us don't realize that.”

Two 91-year-old World War II veterans will discuss their experiences, Lombard area elected officials will give short speeches and the Eastwind vocalists from Glenbard East High School will perform at the ceremony. Veterans will continue a tradition of laying a wreath at a memorial in the park engraved with the names of Lombard residents who died fighting in wars.

Lombard area veterans don't expect the recent killing of Osama bin Laden to have much effect on their thoughts during the ceremony or cemetery visits they will make Memorial Day morning.

“To me, it's a victory, but it's more little victories than big victories. It's the guy who goes on patrol and comes back safely,” said George Miller of Wheaton, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Lilac Post 5815. “It's a thousand little victories rather than one big victory that win a war.”

The post's quartermaster, Jerry White of Lombard, agreed bin Laden's death will not heighten or diminish the feelings of respect for those who served he always experiences on Memorial Day.

“It's pretty much the same emotions,” said White, 81. “Except that there's fewer of us all the time.”

White said Lombard's Memorial Day observances have remained relatively unchanged, and will take place Monday rain or shine. In the morning, members of Lilac Post 5815 and the Lombard American Legion post will visit five Lombard cemeteries where veterans are buried and village hall, saying an invocation and firing a 21-gun salute at each location, Miller said.

“It's grown over the years, which I'm happy to see,” White said. “It doesn't fall away every year, it gets better.”