Category: Veterans

John Oleson: Seven good Navy years; then family first

By John Montesano The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club has named John Oleson the March 2022 Herschel Luckinbill Veteran of the Month recipient. John Oleson was born September 12, 1944, in Aurora, Ill.. In 1948, when his mother died, his father sent John and his older brother to Mooseheart to

Friends and family including veterans groups and first responders help 99 year-old WWII veteran Ray Moore celebrate his birthday Saturday, Feb. 12 with a parade of 20 vehicles driving past his house

Aurora resident and WWII veteran, 99 year-old Ray Moore, receives birthday drive-by parade

Friends and family, including veterans groups and first responders, help 99 year-old World War II veteran Ray Moore celebrate his birthday Saturday, Feb. 12 with a parade of 20 vehicles which drove past his house in Aurora. Members of Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club and Roosevelt-Aurora American Legion Post 84

Steve Westerlund tours: Iran, computer programming

The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club Herschel Luckinbill Veteran of the Month February 2022 is Steve Westerlund. He was born February 6, 1949 in Moline, Ill. and lived in Rock Island. At age 10, his father left the family and Steve was raised by his stepfather, a hired hand, who

Joint effort seeks Korean War medals

Continuing her efforts to urge the United States Congress to authorize president, Joe Biden to honor Korean War Veterans with Congressional Gold Medals, State representative Stephanie Kifowit, (D-Oswego), met with senator Tammy Duckworth to officially present her with a Senate Joint Resolution passed by the Illinois General Assembly. “The Korean

Tom Banning: U.S. Air Force to full safety engineer

By John Montesano The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club Herschel Luckinbill Veteran of the Month for January is Tom Banning. Tom, born March 10, 1945, grew up in St. Clair, Mich.. He lived just a few blocks from downtown and the St. Clair River. He played high school basketball, football,

Pearl Harbor Day, an 80th remembrance in Aurora

By Al Benson Aurora’s annual Pearl Harbor Day memorial luncheon saluted World War II veterans and outstanding high school youth. Several hundreds packed Gaslite Manor in Aurora for the 52nd annual event by Navy League Aurora Council and Aurora Rotary Club. Navy League Aurora Council is a nonprofit group supporting

Gary Hanson, man of various jobs, and a classic car

By John Montesano The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club has named Gary Hanson the December 2021 Herschel Luckinbill Veteran of the Month. Gary was born December 19, 1939 in Ottawa and grew up on different farms in the Somonauk and Sandwich area until 1954 when his father sold the farm

Breakfast buffet in Plano helps veterans

The Sons of the American Legion of Plano Post #395 will be host to an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 12. Menu items will include scrambled eggs, egg casserole, potatoes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, waffles, and made-to-order omelets. The breakfast will be

Aurora Veterans Day Ceremony Moved Indoors, Parade Called Off Due to Inclement Weather

Although the weather may have changed Veterans Day plans for city of Aurora government officials and veterans honored, it certainly didn’t dampen the patriotic spirit. Out of an abundance of caution and with guidance from emergency management professionals, the Aurora city government Veterans Day parade scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 11,