CIA Director David H. Petraeus of the Central Intelligence Agency will lead this year’s Memorial Day Parade as its Grand Marshal and participate in the Wreath Laying Ceremony preceding the parade on Saturday, May 26, 2012.
General David H, Petraeus (U.S. Army, Retired) became the 20th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency on September 6, 2011.  Director Petraeus has dedicated his life to public service, retiring from the United States Army on August 30, 2011 after a distinguished 37-year career.
He last served as Commander, NATO International Security Assistance Force and Commander, U.S. Forces- Afghanistan from July 2010 until July 18, 2011. His other four-star commands include assignments as the 10th Commander, United States Central Command, and as Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq during the surge.
This year, parade will commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Taps with a special tribute.  In 1862, Oliver Wilcox Norton wrote what he called “the hardest 24 notes to play”.  The all too familiar cadence of notes first played by Wilcox during the Civil War and will be played by a group of from Bugles Across America to mark the anniversary.
Included in the day’s events will be a special recognition of the Illinois Gold Star Families at the Wreath Laying Ceremony at 11:00 am on Daley Plaza and at the Parade.  The parade steps off at noon at State and Lake Streets proceeding south on State to Van Buren.
The Chicago Memorial Day Parade honors all men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.  This year’s parade will be dedicated to all soldiers who fought and died in our country’s recent conflicts. The City of Chicago is proud to have post 911veterans represented in our parade this year.

We hope to see everyone at the Memorial Day Parade
on Saturday, May 25th. We are Number 91.

Meet up at 11 AM on Wacker Drive between Clark and LaSalle. Again, we are No. 91. Look for us, our signs and our vehicles there. View Map

Everyone is invited! Bring family and friends. You can walk or ride. The Parade is lots of fun and should be over by 2:30 PM or so.

Come out and have fun!!!

We hope to see everyone at the Memorial Day Parade
on Saturday, May 24th. We are Number 19, which means we will DEFINITELY be on TV this year!

Meet up at 11 AM on Wacker Drive between State and Wabash. Again, we are No. 19. Look for us, our signs and our vehicles there. View Map

Everyone is invited! Bring family and friends. You can walk or ride. The Parade is lots of fun and should be over by 2 PM or so. Be on time, we’ll be kicking off early this year due to our low number!

Come out and have fun!!!

Join CVO in the Memorial Day Parade at 11 AM on Saturday, May 23rd. We’ll have vehicles. You can walk or ride. Bring the family! It will be a lot of fun! Wear your CVO hats and shirts!

We’re number 81 and we’re forming up on Wacker Drive between LaSalle and Wells. The kick off is at noon and we march down State Street. You may be on TV. The parade will be over by 2 PM or so.

All member organizations are invited to march with CVO. Join us!

Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade honors all men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am at the Eternal Flame on Daley Plaza (Dearborn and Washington Streets). The parade will step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street.

Dates:
Saturday, May 28, 2016

Hours:
Wreath Laying Ceremony begins @ 11 am; Parade begins @ 12 Noon

Location:
State St. from Lake St. to Van Buren
State St. & Lake St.
Chicago, IL 60602

The Right to Heal VA Campaign (RTH) is calling on all veterans that care about saving the VA to join us tomorrow at a hearing on VA privatization and why it is not the solution. At the hearing we will make a call to action and announce an informational picket and press conference at Federal Plaza on Friday. Details below.

Call to Action & Workers’ Rights Board Hearing

Where: Conference Room, Second Floor, Damen Building
Jesse Brown VA, 820 S Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60612
When: 4:30PM | Thursday, May 17, 2018
RSVP by mailing Right to Heal <RightToHealVA@gmail.com> or join the event on Facebook

On May 17th, join us as the Right to Heal Campaign announces a call to action and next steps in the fight to unite veterans and VA workers to save the VA and fight back against privatization. After the announcement the Workers’ Rights Board will hold a hearing to discuss what VA privatization would mean for veterans. The hearing will feature experts in the field of VA care, veterans speaking to their experience of using both the VA and the private sector, and VA employees who have dedicated their lives to serving veterans.

Save The VA Press Conference and Informational Picket
Where: Federal Center and Plaza, 219 S Dearborn St, Chicago, Illinois 60603
When: 10AM | Friday, May 18, 2018
RSVP by mailing Right to Heal <RightToHealVA@gmail.com> or join the event on Facebook

The Save The VA Coalition and the Right To Heal VA Campaign will be holding an emergency press conference and informational picket to oppose H.R. 5674. The bill backed by the Trump adminstration and the Koch front group, Concerned Veterans of America would expand private healthcare vouchers at the expense of the VA healthcare system and give unprecedented powers to the VA secretary to make drastic changes, including authority to outsource/privatize services of VA healthcare without oversight or congressional approval.

With the firing of VA Secretary David Shulkin for not advancing a privatization agenda quickly enough and with continued disarray within the Trump administration in finding a replacement for Shulkin, we believe it is the worst possible time to give Trump such powers to change VA healthcare. We will be demanding that Senator Duckworth and Durbin hold the line against these terrible bills and vote no on these bills and other efforts to privatize the VA.

RSVP by emailing Right to Heal <RightToHealVA@gmail.com> or join the events on Facebook Right to Heal Hearing at the Jesse Brown VA & Save the VA Press Conference at Federal Plaza.

Veterans & VA Workers
United to Save the VA!

Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade honors all men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am at the Eternal Flame on Daley Plaza (Dearborn and Washington Streets). The parade will step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street.

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Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade honors all men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am on Daley Plaza (Dearborn and Washington Streets). The parade will then step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street.

Major General Marion Garcia, Commanding General, 200th Military Police Command, United States Army Reserve, will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal. Maj. Gen. Garcia graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1987 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Military Police Corps. She has served in a wide variety of staff and leadership assignments as well as during multiple deployments including: Rear Battle Plans Officer with the 14th Military Police Brigade during Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm; Commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 720th Military Police Battalion during Operation Provide Comfort Somalia, Commander of the 324th Military Police Battalion with a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq; and Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Her numerous awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Parachutist Badge and German Armed Forces Efficiency Badge (Bronze).

During the Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade, the City of Chicago honors fallen heroes and Gold Star family members who have lost a loved one in the United States Armed Forces to combat operations or while on active duty. Approved by Congress beginning in 1947, Gold Star Lapel Pins and the Next of Kin Lapel Pins are presented to families not as an award, but as symbols of honor worn by family members in remembrance of their fallen loved ones and their ultimate sacrifice.