Village, American Legion to honor fallen

Memorial Day events include sunrise service, procession, ceremony at Village Hall

The Village of Hinsdale and Hinsdale American Legion Post 250 will honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country Monday, May 29.

The post will start the day with a 7 a.m. sunrise service at Bronswood Cemetery, 3805 Madison St., Oak Brook. Community members will gather in downtown Hinsdale for a procession that steps off at 10 a.m. from Third Street and Garfield Avenue. The procession will head west to Washington Street, then north on Washington to the Memorial Building. Post members will be joined by the Hinsdale Central marching band, scouting troops and other community organizations.

Following the procession, at about 10:20 a.m., a ceremony will take place on the lawn outside the Memorial Building. The ceremony features a special guest speaker this year, said Joe Craig, past post commander who is currently serving as adjutant and judge advocate. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col Ryan Yantis, a decorated survivor of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, will offer an address.

"Basically his story is he and another officer were arguing in a hallway about the location of a meeting, so they were delayed getting to the meeting," Craig said. "Had they been on time, they would have been killed."

Yantis was among the volunteer rescuers who spent much of the day carrying victims on stretchers to safety. He is now president of SilverLeaf Leadership Communication and a resident of Crystal Lake.

The Hinsdale Chorale and Hinsdale Central band will perform, and the ceremony will conclude with a rifle salute and the playing of Taps.

This is the first year the post and the village are working together on the observance.

"The village has been very, very accommodating and helpful this year," Craig said. "Just pray for good weather."

• The Fuller Historic Foundation will hold its annual Memorial Day flag changing ceremony at noon Monday at the historic Fullersburg Cemetery between Maumell and Fuller Road at Garfield Avenue in Hinsdale. The cemetery is the final resting place of 13 local Civil War Union soldiers and one Confederate, who was given a new engraved headstone in 2016.

• DuPage County will host a ceremony in observance of Memorial Day at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 28, at the DuPage County Government Complex, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton.

The ceremony will take place at the Veterans Memorial, located outside near the pond on the complex. The memorial commemorates DuPage County residents who lost their lives in military conflicts at home and abroad beginning with the Black Hawk War in 1832 and continuing to the most recent engagements overseas.

The event will include the laying of the wreath by Gold Star families, a weapons salute by DuPage Honor Guard and the DuPage Honor Guard retiring the colors.

In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Atrium of the 421 JTK Administration Building.

Other activities

Memorial Day weekend, in addition to being a time to remember the fallen, has become the unofficial start of summer. One or more of these activities just might be the perfect way to kick the season off.

• The Hinsdale Community Pool opens for the season Saturday, May 27. Hours on May 27 and 28 are 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for the baby pool and 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the whole facility. Memorial Day hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the whole facility. Daily admission is $10, $7 for seniors and $8 after 5 p.m.

• Hinsdale in Lights - Celebrating 150 Years will re-open to the public from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Memorial Day at Immanuel Hall: 302 S. Grant St., Hinsdale. The exhibit tells the story of Hinsdale and its residents via an animated and immersive light show featuring outstanding Hinsdaleans, organizations, architecture and events. Distinctive historic objects from the Hinsdale Historical Society collections will also be showcased, shining light on how the village became what it is today. The exhibit is free, with a suggested donation of $20 donation.

• Of the Earth, an exhibit of five large-scale sculptures by Polish American artist Olga Ziemsak, opens Friday, May 26, at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle.

The exhibition will explore the artist's expression and philosophy that "We are nature." Ziemska said her aim is to remind people that "everything in life is derived from the same basic elements that form everything in nature, including ourselves. There is no separation." The artist created her work from reclaimed tree branches and other natural materials gathered from various locations throughout the arboretum's 1,700 acres.

The arboretum is open from 7 a.m. to sunset. Timed-entry admission is $17 for adults, $15 for seniors, $12 for children 2-17 and free for infants under 2. Visit http://www.mortonarb.org for more information.

• Fleetwood Mac tribute band Gold Dust Dreams will kick off Cantigny's Summer Concert Series with a performance Sunday, May 28, and local favorite 7th Heaven will perform Monday, May 29. The concerts, which are outdoors and feature lawn seating, take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets, and picnics are welcome. Concessions are available; pets and alcohol are prohibited. Admission is free with $30 parking. Cantigny is at 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Visit http://www.cantigny.org for details.

• The Westmont Lions Club will hold its Spring Fling, an annual barbecue festival and competition with live music, crafters, food vendors, carnival rides and a fireworks finale, Friday to Sunday, May 26-28, at Ty Warner Park, 700 Blackhawk Drive, Westmont. All-you-can-ride carnival wristband specials are available from 1 to 5 p.m. May 27 and 28 for $30. Hours are 4 to 10:30 p.m. May 26 and noon to 10:30 p.m. May 27 and 28. Visit http://www.westmontlionsfoundation.org for a complete schedule.

Author Bio

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Pamela Lannom is editor of The Hinsdalean