The next meeting of CVO will be on Zoom on this coming Wednesday, June 17th at 7 PM. Information for connecting on Zoom is below.

This is the election meeting! We will hold elections for the CVO Executive Committee.

We will also have a discussion and presentation of Illinois Joining Forces, an important veterans coalition in Illinois that CVO is a member of. In a related discussion, we will discuss recruiting volunteers for our CVO Committees.

Additionally, we will soon be facing the possibility that the Jesse Brown VA will allow us to have face-to-face (f2f) meetings in the not-too-distant future. If so, we will discuss how we might go to hybrid meetings that will allow people to show up at the VA or connect and participate via Zoom.

Getting into Zoom: To join, just click on the following on your computer, your smart phone or your tablet. All you need is an Internet connection:

Join URL: https://zoom.us/j/6857448800?pwd=K1V6eHRha2R4Y25rbXBybzl2MlNOdz09

The first time, it will ask you to download Zoom. Allow this or join on your browser. Join with video.

If you prefer to only use the telephone, call one of these numbers and when asked, put in the Meeting ID and password followed by the #.

1-312-626-6799 or 1-346-248-7799
Meeting ID: 685 744 8800
Password: 357489

If you want to use the Zoom App, you can download it from www.zoom.us on your computer or from the App Store on your phone or tablet. To join the meeting, select “Join” and put in the Meeting ID and password above.

See you on Wednesday, June 17th at 7!! Be well and be safe!!

The next meeting of the Coalition of Veterans Organizations will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, April 21st from 7 to 9 PM Central / 8-10 PM Eastern.

This is an Election Meeting and elections to the CVO Executive Committee will be held.

We will have a presentation by Mr. Gerald Yamada, President, Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA), on the history and role of Japanese American Veterans. Join us for this important and interesting presentation!

Other agenda items will include updates on working to achieve Dental Care for All Veterans and the associated bill HR 914 and other CVO activities.

Registration is required to attend this Meeting.

Registration will be open the week of the meeting.

Save the Date!

The next meeting of CVO will be on Zoom at 7 PM on Wednesday, May 19th.

Registration is required to attend this meeting.

We will post the agenda—with key presentation points—as soon as it becomes available.

CVO is online! CVO – like all organizations should – is protecting its members in this period of home sheltering and social distancing. We will continue to meet and work for veterans and their families! We are doing this by continuing to meet in ways that utilize the technology available to carry out the CVO mission: The Coalition of Veterans Organizations is a group of individuals and member organizations whose purpose is to advocate for and educate veterans and the public on issues that impact veterans and their families.

The next meeting of CVO will be on Zoom on this coming Wednesday, June 16th at 7 PM. Information for connecting on Zoom is below.

Registration is required to attend this meeting.

We will post the agenda—with key presentation points—as soon as it becomes available.

CVO is online! CVO – like all organizations should – is protecting its members in this period of home sheltering and social distancing. We will continue to meet and work for veterans and their families! We are doing this by continuing to meet in ways that utilize the technology available to carry out the CVO mission: The Coalition of Veterans Organizations is a group of individuals and member organizations whose purpose is to advocate for and educate veterans and the public on issues that impact veterans and their families.

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 step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street. The Chicago parade is considered one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the nation. Since 1870, Memorial Day parades have graced the streets of Chicago. Wreath Laying Ceremony begins at 11 am; Parade begins at 12 Noon

Join Illinois Rolling Thunder Chapters on Sunday, May 29th, 2022, for the MidAmerica Rolling Thunder XXXIV demonstration parade. No Entry Fee!

Departure at 10am!

Purpose of the 54-mile ride is to remind our government to keep searching for our 82,000+ missing servicemen and women.

The ride will pass through Hines VA Hospital to Cantigny Park and to 1st Infantry Museum at 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton Illinois.

Download (PDF, 951KB)

The next meeting of CVO will be on Zoom on this coming Wednesday, March 15th at 7 PM.

At our March 15 meeting, we will be taking nominations for the CVO Board, with the election to take place at the April 19 meeting, our official Annual Meeting. Those to be nominated need to be members in good standing (i. e., paid up dues) and either be present to accept the nomination, or email me that you will accept a nomination. You can nominate yourself. We expect to get an update on the status of the VACCC from their Supt., Elizabeth Soto.

The meeting agenda can be found here
The March 2023 Veterans Affairs Committee Report is posted here.

The American Inst. of Dental Public Health is coordinating efforts to educate our congressmen/senators on the need for dental care through the VA on March 27-28, with people in DC and for the rest of us to participate virtually. Below is their Veteran Virtual Day of Action Guide. Please look it over.

VETERAN VIRTUAL DAY OF ACTION GUIDE.pdf

We request participation, not only from CVO members, but also from the members of their respective organizations. After all, getting the members of our constituent organizations to work on common issues/projects is the reason why CVO was founded.

The meeting will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, March 15 from 7-9 p.m. CT / 8-10 p.m. ET / 5-7 p.m. PT.

The Chicago Memorial day parade is on, Saturday, May 27, 2023 and starts at
12 noon on Wacker Drive between Dearborn and State St..

The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) are honored to announce the Grand Marshal for Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremony on Saturday, May 27. The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am at Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington St). The Parade will step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street. Major General Rodney Boyd, Assistant Adjutant General – Army of the Illinois National Guard and Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal. Originally from Chicago’s South Side, Major General Boyd is the highest-ranking African American Officer in Illinois National Guard’s 300 year history.

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.

The Illinois National Guard is celebrating their 300-year anniversary by commemorating significant dates in its history with communities across the state that share that history. Founded on May 9, 1723, the Illinois National Guard has and continues to draw its strength from the community. The National Guard is the oldest component of the U.S. military and the only military component with both state and federal missions.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony at 11am will also be livestreamed at Chicago.gov/live.

More information can be found at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/memorial_day_parade.html