The first meeting of 2019 for CVO will be held this coming Wednesday, January 16th at 7 PM in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of Jesse Brown VA.

We’ll bring you up to date on what’s been going on with CVO over the last few months. The key presentation will be on the new bill for Dental Care for Veterans, HR 96. Come ready to contact your Congress Person to get Co-sponsors for the new bill!!

Also, the Executive Committee will meet at 6 PM before the regular membership meeting. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS: ARRIVE EARLY (5:45 PM) FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING!

If the weather is bad, call 773-243-2335 (CVO Voicemail) to find out if the meeting is going to be held or cancelled.

As usual, there will be refreshments and parking will be validated. Get parking validation BEFORE the meeting, when you arrive.

The next meeting of CVO will be held at 7 PM next Wednesday, February 20th at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center at 820 S. Damen in Chicago in the 2nd floor Conference Room.

There will be a presentation on African-American History by Mr. Stanley Porter, an original Montford Point Marine who served in the segregated Marine Corps in World War II. We will also have updates on the struggle for veterans dental care, on the VA Director’s meeting at Jesse Brown and more.

Don’t forget membership dues are due. Individual Memberships are just $10; Organizational Memberships are just $50.

Garage parking will be validated; get it validated at the front desk AS YOU ARRIVE. As usual, refreshments will be served. Arrive early to make sure the pizza is hot!

In case of inclement weather, call 773-243-2335 for an update on the status of the meeting.

The next meeting of CVO will be held on this Wednesday, March 20th, at 7 PM in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 820 S Damen in Chicago.

There will be a presentation by Quincy McCall (Whitehead), Director of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Be sure to come out and hear this important presentation!

Also on the agenda will be Nominations for the Executive Committee of CVO. All nominations will be made at this meeting. Elections to the Executive Committee will be held at the April meeting (Wednesday, April 17th).

Come early to enjoy refreshments before the meeting. Validate your garage parking when you arrive at the front desk.

The Executive Committee will meet at 6 PM on Wednesday, March 20th before the regular membership meeting to discuss nominations. Please show up early to make sure we can conduct our business in a timely manner.

See you there!

The next meeting of CVO is on this Wednesday, April 17th at 7 PM at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center at 820 S Damen in Chicago. It will be in the second floor Conference Room.

The agenda will include a report about the advances in the struggle for Dental Care for all Veterans, the Bill (HR 96) that calls for that, and our radio and TV efforts to get the word out. There will be more, of course!

The elections to the CVO Executive Committee will be held at the May meeting. Pay your Individual dues ($10) or Organizational dues ($50) in order to vote!

As usual, refreshments will be served.

Parking in the garage will be validated. Get the validation at the front desk as you arrive!

See you there!

The next meeting of CVO will be this Wednesday, May 15th at 7 PM in the 2nd floor Conference Room of the Jesse Brown VA at 820 S Damen in Chicago.

We will be holding elections to the CVO Executive Committee at this meeting! You must be a member to vote.

Also on the Agenda: CAN-TV. We will discuss hosting a regular show, in rotation with other Veterans groups, on CAN-TV. Volunteers to get trained and participate in this project need to be at this meeting.

We’ll also discuss the latest developments in getting HR 96 – Dental Care for ALL Veterans – voted on and passed in the House of Representatives.

… and MORE!!

As usual, we will have refreshments. Parking in the garage will be validated. Get your validation when you arrive!

See you there!

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.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We’re back! And the next CVO Meeting is at 7 PM on Wednesday, January 15th at the Jesse Brown VA in the 2nd Floor Conference Room. The presentation will be about Native American Veterans. The presenter will be Joseph Podlasek. Mr. Podlasek is a citizen of the LCO Ojibwe Tribe in Northern WI and is of Polish descent. After 14 years of leadership services to the Native and cultural communities in Chicago and at national levels, his focus is on creating awareness and cultural education through education programs in the, arts, veterans and fatherhood services. Be sure to come out and learn about the Native American veteran heroes!

Of course, refreshments will be served and parking in the garage will be validated. Be sure to get your validation at the front desk as you arrive.

Other agenda items will include the struggle for Dental Care for Veterans, CVO business and future plans.

See you there!

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

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

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

The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am at Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington Street). The Parade will step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street. Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant, U.S. Coast Guard will serve as this year’s Parade Grand Marshal. Rear Admiral Merchant, who was born in Chicago, recently made history by becoming the first African American female promoted to flag rank in U.S. Coast Guard history.

This year’s Major General John A. Logan Patriot Award will honor André Richardson King; and the City of Chicago will acknowledge two Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) students with the Cadets of the Year Award: C/LTC Lorena Mozo of Farragut Career Academy and C/Capt Fernando Gonzalez of Marine Leadership Academy.

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

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