The City of Aurora is set to celebrate the 87th anniversary of Veterans Day with the annual Aurora Veterans Day Parade, beginning at the intersection of Downer Place and Water Street Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 10:15 a.m..
U.S. Air Force veteran and current Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) instructor at West Aurora High School, Scott Hellinger, will serve as the event’s guest speaker. Hellinger served as a Security Forces Specialist in the Air Force, exceling in both ground-level and managerial roles. His exemplary service earned him multiple military decorations, including the Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Hellinger was also hand-selected to serve as the Chief Enlisted Advisor overseeing the Comprehensive Airman Fitness Master Resilience Training Course, helping to teach and prepare more than 2,500 airmen across the Air Force. Today, Hellinger teaches grades nine through 12 as an aerospace science instructor for West Aurora’s AFJROTC, leading its drill team to back-to-back United States Air Force National Championships in 2022 and 2023.
Following the conclusion of the Parade at Downer Place and Stolp Avenue, a brief ceremony will take place at approximately 10:45 a.m. in front of the Grand Army of the Republic Military Museum, 23 E. Downer Place.
—City of Aurora government