A ceremony commemorating Evanston’s veterans took place on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Fountain Square in Downtown Evanston. The ceremony lasted around an hour, starting at 10:30 a.m.

The event began with a performance of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ sung by W. Stephen Smith of Northwestern University. The crowd of around 100 attendees was then welcomed by Gregory L. Linsiki of American Legion Post 42. He reflected on the loss of Henry Revis Jr., a fellow soldier who passed away on Oct. 30 of this year. Revis Jr. was a recurring sight at past Evanston Veteran Day ceremonies, having spoken at the event for the past 20 years.

After this reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance, Josina Morita, the Cook County Commissioner of the 13th Cook County Board District, reported on progress made for supporting veterans.

“Tripling the budget to make sure they have support, services and respect,” said Morita. “It’s extremely important to provide support to veterans and their families after all that they’ve done to support us.”

Mayor Daniel Biss also attended the event and spoke to the crowd. He expressed deep gratitude towards veterans for their service, highlighting the sacrifices that have to be made when serving one’s country.

“It’s important to understand what it takes to make that contribution,” said Biss. 

Commander Brian Beatty, the commander of his VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 7186, and Will Candelario of Post 42 spoke next. Their words focused on the importance of acknowledging all service members, no matter their job in the military.

After the speeches, wreaths were placed to honor and remember the sacrifices made, followed by a moment of reflection and the patriotic song ‘Taps,’ performed by Joshua Hoather, a junior at ETHS. The ceremony concluded with all the attendees singing ‘God Bless America.’