TALK ABOUT BIG
With 25,000 marchers, Chicago's Memorial Day Parade is tops in United States
Chicago's Memorial Day Parade, heralded as the largest in the country, will march down State Street, from Lake Street to Van Buren Street, at noon on Saturday, May 28th. In recognition of the men and women serving around the world, this year's parade theme is "Support Our Troops." A Wreath Laying Ceremony will precede the parade, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Eternal Flame, located on the Richard J. Daley Center Plaza (at Dearborn and Washington streets).
The Memorial Day Parade reflects on those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. More than 1.2 million service men and women have died since the Revolutionary War. This parade also honors all victims of terrorism, especially those serving in foreign lands, fighting against tyranny in all its forms.
The parade typically features more than 25,000 participants and 250 marching units including military units, high school bands, the JROTC and veterans' groups from across Illinois. For more information on the Parade, call (312) 744-3315.
The national holiday now celebrated as Memorial Day began informally at the end of the Civil War when family members of both Union and Confederate soldiers who died in battle would visit the graves of their relatives and decorate them with flowers. This custom soon came to be known as Decoration Day. The first official recognition of this day set aside to honor these fallen heroes came on May 5, 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan, first commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued General Order No. 11 establishing May 30 as Decoration Day, now Memorial Day.
Sears, Marshall Field's, Carson Pirie Scott and the Palmer House Hilton will salute the military with window and in-store displays in the week leading up to the parade. Watch throughout the season as State Street transforms into a patriotic look reminiscent of an era gone-by.
Photographic exhibits will be on display at the Daley Center (50 W. Washington St.), the Cook County Building (118 N. Clark St.) and the Thompson Center (100 W. Randolph St.). The Parade commemorates the 230th anniversary of the Army, Navy, and Marines, and the 58th anniversary of the Air Force, as well as the 215th Anniversary of the Coast Guard.
FATHER MAC TO BE REMEMBERED AT MEMORIAL DAY MASS IN HOLY NAME CATHEDRAL
Haymarket Center will be sponsoring its annual Memorial Day Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, State and Superior streets, at 10 a.m. Monday, May 30, honoring our fallen heroes. This Mass will be celebrated by Rev Stephen P. Newton of St. Joseph Parish, 107 N. Orleans St.
The late Msgr. Ignatius McDermott, co-founder of Haymarket Center, celebrated the Memorial Day Mass for 48 consecutive years. Father Mac passed away last Dec. 31.
On the last Memorial Day, Father Mac said, "We remember together the lives, the experiences, the strengths and the hopes of our departed loved ones reinforcing their places in our hearts. We gather together in fellowship to remember our departed friends and loved ones."
Father Mac will be in everyone's hearts on Memorial Day.
Following the service, there will be a reception for family and friends back at Haymarket Center's studio facility, 943 W. Washington St.
Haymarket Center, founded in 1975 by the late Msgr. Ignatius McDermott and Dr. James West, is a comprehensive substance abuse treatment center located on the Near West Side of Chicago. It serves some 14,000 clients annually, in a score of residential and out-patient programs and settings, operating the largest alcohol and drug treatment and detoxification program in the city. Haymarket Center offers detoxification and treatment programs for men and women.
WATCH OUT FOR DRUNK DRIVERS OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, 22 lives were lost on Illinois roads during the 2003 Memorial Day Weekend. Eleven of the 22 fatalities were alcohol-related. Illinois motorists are advised to be watchful this Memorial Day Weekend for drivers who may be operating their vehicles under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Here are the signs that might indicate a driver is under the influence: turning too widely, abruptly or illegally; swerving off and on the road or between lanes; responding slowly to traffic signals; signaling inconsistently with driving actions; tailgating, speeding or driving more than 10 mph under the speed limit; or driving with headlights off when headlight use is required.
If you suspect a driver is drunk, drive defensively and expect sudden changes in the driver’s speed and course. Do not try to pass or stop the driver. Either call the police from a cell phone or go to the nearest gas station or rest area and call. Be prepared to give the exact location and the direction he/she was headed, as well as the vehicle’s description and license plate number.
In Illinois, the illegal blood alcohol concentration is .08 or greater. However, alcohol affects individuals differently based on the amount of alcohol consumed and the rate at which it is absorbed into the body. Other factors include body weight, tolerance, mood, environment and the amount of food consumed. Driving with any amount of alcohol or drugs in your system is hazardous and greatly increases your odds of being in a serious accident.
FROM COLONIAL MILITIA TO MODERN ARMY
Colonial militias were the first American forces during the American Revolution to do battle with the British. Their lack of reliability caused Congress, at the urging of George Washington, to create the Continental Army on June 14, 1775. The army achieved a maximum strength of about 23,550 active-duty troops in September 1778. On June 2, 1784, Congress abolished the army on the basis that "standing armies in time of peace are inconsistent with the principles of republican government...."
In 1789 the War Department was established to oversee and administer military forces. After the revolution, Congress again authorized a small standing army to guard United States frontiers, and in 1802 it established the United States Military Academy at West Point to train regular army officers. Until World War I and the establishment of the draft, federalized state troops and volunteers provided the manpower needed in times of crisis.
The first peacetime conscription was instituted in 1940, continued throughout the Korean and Vietnam wars, and ended on Jan. 27, 1973; the Military Selective Service Act expired June 30, 1973. Since that time U. S. military power has depended on an all-volunteer force. This brief history is courtesy of: encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761573075_/Army.html. |
