American Legion and City of Crystal Lake Memorial Day Celebration- May 25 – Focus on Female Veterans

The William Chandler Peterson American Legion Post 171 has partnered with City of Crystal Lake to honor those who died while serving in the U.S. military with a parade and ceremony on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25 at 11:00 a.m. Featuring an emphasis on female veterans, the Legion is encouraging area women veterans to come forward to be recognized for their contributions.

This year, to highlight women veterans during the parade and ceremony, the Legion requests individuals and families to submit names and photos to be included and displayed at the cemetery. Contact Post Commander Charlie Morgan via email at chuck452usa@gmail.com and Vice Commander Bob Dorn at rdorn3@outlook.com.

Everyone is invited! The parade will begin at Crystal Lake Central High School, 45 West Franklin Ave. Honor guards, military music, the epic American Flag held by countless volunteers and more will be presented. Floats and marchers will progress east on Franklin Avenue, north on Williams Street and west on Woodstock Street to Union Cemetery at 150 West Woodstock Street.

At the cemetery, Post Commander Charlie Morgan will welcome the public and families. Capt. Erica Watson Borggren, U.S. Army, retired, will be the keynote speaker. Capt. Borggren is from McHenry, Ill. She was valedictorian at West Point, a Rhodes Scholar, a company commander in Korea and a high-level aide to Gen. David Petraeus in the Middle East. She is currently employed at ComEd where she helps customers save energy and protect the environment. Capt. Borggren will provide an inspiring program that will include recognizing female veterans.

In addition, a Flanders Field of poppies will be displayed at the cemetery. “In Flanders Fields" is a famous World War I poem by Canadian physician and soldier John McCrae, written in 1915 after the death of a friend at the Second Battle of Ypres. The poem uses the imagery of poppies growing on the graves of fallen soldiers to urge the living to continue the fight, famously stating, "Take up our quarrel with the foe: / To you from failing hands we throw / The torch; be yours to hold it high". It became a powerful tool for recruitment and war bond sales, solidifying the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

To learn more about William Chandler Peterson American Legion Post 171 Crystal Lake, visit www.LegionCrystalLake171.org.