There are many good reasons to celebrate Veterans Day. This year, Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11, celebrates 100 years since the armistice to officially end World War I. Those involved signed the peace treaty at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, November 11, 1918. There will be celebrations in many communities. Cantigny will have nearly a week of events in Wheaton. Aurora will hold a parade downtown at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 with ceremonies to follow.
Herschel Luckinbill of Montgomery, president of the Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club, was notified recently that he is honored as one of 200 veterans in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The 200 will attend the Illinois Bicentennial celebration December 3 at the United Center in Chicago. There are other veterans from circulation area of The Voice among the 200. They will be a part of Veterans’ Voice next week in a full list.
One veteran who will be missed this year at Veterans Day is Don Thompson of Boulder Hill, part of Montgomery, a veteran and a member of the Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club. He was honored at the Chicago White Sox-Chicago Cubs game in early September. He celebrated 98 years October 19, but, his untimely death October 26, took him away from family and friends.
Mr. Thompson entered the U.S. Navy in 1942 during World War II. He retired from the Navy as a lieutenant commander in 1980, 16 years as a reservist.. He was a Naval aviator in the flight training program.
He was active until the end of his life. A photo on the front page of The Voice March 20, 2012 shows him climbing into a Navy version of a T-6 plane at the Aurora Airport in Sugar Grove. He flew the plane at the age of 91. Services will be held at noon Saturday at Dieterle Memorial Home in Montgomery following a visitation which will begin at 10 a.m..