Springfield, IL  (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – On Veterans Day, we pause to honor and thank the courageous men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Parade:
The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, along with the Navy Club and the Leathernecks Motorcycle Club, invite the Springfield community to celebrate and honor Illinois veterans at the 12th Annual Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11.

The parade will kick off 11 a.m. at 11th Street and proceed down Capitol Avenue to the Capitol Building.

A complimentary lunch open to the public, will follow at 12:00 p.m. at the Leathernecks Motorcycle Club in Springfield.

LLCC Ceremony:

Lincoln Land Community College will honor veterans at its 29th annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11. The ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons on the LLCC-Springfield campus, 5250 Shepherd Road, and a reception will follow. The public is invited to attend.

Chatham American Legion Post #759 will post the colors. The program includes Gordon Gates, LLCC Board of Trustees Chair, serving as master of ceremonies; K. William Hudson, LLCC student and retired Technical Sergeant, U.S. Airforce, providing remarks; LLCC Student Trustee Braden Nicoll presenting the wreath; Quentin Brackenridge singing the national anthem; and Ryan O’Neal, LLCC student, playing “Taps.”

The Veterans Day Ceremony is sponsored by LLCC Student Life and honors all veterans including LLCC faculty, staff and students who served in the armed forces.

UIS Ceremony:

At 10 a.m. UIS will welcome retired U.S. Army Col. John Raschke, a Vietnam War veteran, as the keynote speaker for the annual Veterans Day ceremony in Room 160 of the Public Affairs Center (PAC). Raschke, a native of Geneseo, Illinois, enlisted in the Army in 1966 and served for over three decades. He holds an MBA from UIS and retired in 1999 with military honors such as the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

At 11 a.m. a flag-raising ceremony will be held in front of the PAC, featuring music by UIS students. Both Monday events are sponsored by UIS Military and Veteran Student Services.

To all veterans: Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your love of country.