Saturday, November 11, 2017, was but two degrees above freezing–at the City of Morrison Veterans’ Park Memorial–cold enough to keep many residents inside on Veterans Day. A small gathering attended the annual American Legion ceremony, in Grove Hill Cemetery on High Street, Morrison, IL. It began about 10:55 a.m. with Jim Prombo, front, offering a few words.
Three Boys Scouts participated with flags. Adults were Jimmy Wilson and Stephanie DeMarr. They accompanied Sean Wilson, blue jacket; Shawn Common, United States flag; Aiden Fowler [unseen], holding the Scout flag.
Fred Steele, Lyndon, IL, explained that the WWI Armistice, or cease fire, was signed “on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour” in 1918. At that time, bells rang throughout the world celebrating the end of this “War to End All Wars.” He added, “We were taught to face the east” during Veterans Day tributes, and the crowd complied. One looks from North America toward Europe, where most of the war took place and ended. Legionnaires facing east, left-to-right include Steele; Kenneth Petersen, head bowed; Ron Wiersema, United States flag; Terry Jones, American Legion flag; Prombo, Robert Brands, Jerry Brearton, Dennis VanZuiden, Robert Atherton, and Jeff Steele.
At 11:00, retired Morrison Fireman Ron Hanson turned on the City-wide siren; this began a one-minute, silent tribute. Steele directed three rifle salutes from seven riflemen, and “Taps” was played by Morrison’s Carolyn Aiken.
She celebrated her 50 year anniversary of performing this poignant melody, on Wednesday, October 25, 1967. The first time was at the funeral of Harrison T. Berry, a member of the Morrison Rifles Illinois National Guard Company. “I was surprised to be asked,” she remembered, but “he was a surrogate grandfather to my mother, Josie Mann Aiken.” Berry is listed on the first of three new tablets dedicated to 250 Morrison Rifles, who served from 1878 through WWII and the Korean Conflict. Aiken points to his name.
Carolyn Aiken plays “Taps” in numerous Northwest Illinois counties for Memorial and Veterans Day ceremonies, flag burnings, and funerals. Her latest funeral service was Monday, October 16, at the Rock Island National Cemetery. Requests can be made by calling her at 815-772-4393.
Standing behind the tablet, left-to-right are American Legion members VanZuiden, Brearton, Petersen, and Fred Steele.
Citizens who served/are serving on Federal active duty in the United States Armed Forces, during any of the following war eras, may join the American Legion.
- WWI
- WWII
- Korea
- Vietnam
- Lebanon/Grenada
- Operation Just Cause–Panama
- Persian Gulf/War on Terrorism.
Honor veterans by taking action. Veterans can upload their story and photograph on this site.
Visitors viewed names of departed veterans on the six, newly installed, granite memorial tablets and on those on previous installations. All 520 Morrison veterans’ names are engraved in a communal display, spanning 14 tablets.
