Naperville Park District, in collaboration with the Naperville Healing Field Committee, will be host to the community’s fourth Healing Field of Honor at Rotary Hill, 443 Aurora Avenue, November 1-11. Displaying 2,019 American flags on Rotary Hill during this event creates a stunning tribute to our military and their families and raises money through Operation Support Our Troops-America to assist veterans and their families.
This year the theme of the Healing Field of Honor is “Remembering a Century of Heroes and Heritage,” to commemorate three historic events: The 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the first World War; the 100th anniversary of the formation of the American Legion; and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Naperville the Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873.
The flag display officially will be open Friday, Nov. 1 with an opening ceremony and will close at 5 p.m. on Veterans Day, November 11, with the playing of “Taps.” The community is invited to purchase a flag, dedicate a flag to a veteran, make a donation, or become a sponsor of the event by visiting www.healingfield.org/Naperville19. Funds raised this year will support Leap of Faith, a program through Operation Support Our Troops that helps families who have suffered an untimely death of a military service member.
A special addition to this year’s remembrance of World War I is a free showing of the Warner Brothers/Peter Jackson film, “They Shall Not Grow Old”. I will be at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 at Naperville North High School Auditorium, 899 N. Mill Street. This film is a stirring remake of old footage of life in the trenches, adding modern effects and carefully researched dialogue to present the realities of World War I more clearly in a film than previously.
In addition to viewing or walking through the field of flags on Rotary Hill, visitors may stop at the bottom of the hill near the Riverwalk Café to see a tribute to the seven men from Naperville who gave their lives serving in World War I. Inside the Riverwalk Café there will be more information and displays of military and historical artifacts. Additionally, the Riverwalk Café will offer a special menu during the Healing Field event from Friday, Nov. 1 through Monday, Nov. 11. The Café will serve beverages and food from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Veterans and active-duty military members will receive a 10% discount on non-alcoholic purchases at the Café, a free cup of hot coffee, and $.50 coffee refills.
Naperville Park District will offer Carillon tours to view the Healing Field from the observation deck, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, during the event (November 2, 3, 9, and 10) and from noon to 4 p.m. on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11. Tour tickets cost $3 and will be sold at the Riverwalk Café. Veterans and active duty military members will receive a free ticket to tour the Carillon during the event.
Rotary Hill has been host to the Healing Field of Honor in 2009, 2012, and 2015, and raised funds for Fisher House at Edward Hines, Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital, and the Allen J. Lynch Foundation, which supports research on traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
—Naperville Park District