Thank You Veterans

The 53-year-old Kearns, who grew up in Boulder Hill in Kendall County and is a 1989 Oswego High School graduate, is a lieutenant at the Oswego Fire Protection District, which serves the communities of Oswego, Montgomery, Yorkville and Plainfield.

Downers Grove North teacher and coach Larry Baca says military service prepared him for life's challenges.

For the last 10½ years, Jake Zimmerman has been responsible for the welfare of 18,644 veterans, in addition to surviving spouses and dependents.

It's time once again for Sauk Valley-area veterans, and those from surrounding counties, to sign up for a free Honor Flight to Washinton, D.C.

Piety Hill native Susan “Suz” (Gaull) Whitman changed the course of Navy history. She retired from the U.S. Navy in 2018 as Fleet Master Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. She was the highest-ranking, non-commissioned female officer in the Navy.

Elburn village president joined the U.S. Navy as a "Cryptologic Technician Interpretive" – otherwise known as a linguist.

The lower an American Legion post’s number is, the older it is. With 680 active posts in Illinois, Patrick Fegan American Legion Post No. 83 is one of the oldest.

Denise Carson joined the Women's Army Corps in 1974.

Minor Mobley is an auto mechanic and successful owner of Excel Auto, located at 1207 Foundry St., in St. Charles. He concurrently runs his foundation, Big Hearts of Fox Valley, to help children within St. Charles Community Unit School District 303.

Gretchen and Kirk Catherwood, whose son Alec was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, now operate Darkhorse Lodge in Tennessee as a way to help combat veterans.

Joe Olvera of Shorewood volunteers for several veterans organizations, including the "We Honor Veterans" program for Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care in Joliet.

The Joliet Police Department Battle Buddy program connects officers to veterans before a crisis occurs and works with them “after a negative event in their lives to reduce recidivism."

Since its inception in 2019, a DeKalb County court program that offers substance abuse and mental health resources as an alternative to significant jail time has helped more than two dozen local veterans find their footing.

Within the offices of DeKalb County government is a group run by veterans, for veterans, helping make civilian life back on the home front a little easier. It's called the DeKalb County Veterans Assistance Commission.

Retired U.S. Marine Marshall Boyle, of DeKalb, said he believes his service to others didn't stop when he left the military, and won't stop until he's dead. "I don’t think I’ve considered my mission done until they put me in the ground," he said.