There was a salute, a tribute, and a thank you.
The focal point was the service rendered by Herschel Luckinbill of Montgomery to military veterans for nearly 20 years. The Navy veteran, see below, was the primary mover and president of the Fox Valley Breakfast Club. The organization was started by the late Robert Mitchler, an Aurora native, military veteran, and former State senator from the Oswego area.
Luckinbill is a dedicated family man and married to Eva Luckinbill, the former Aurora Public Library executive director. She was in attendance, along with approximately 85 participants in the salute to Herschel Luckinbill. He is leaving the Breakfast Club because the Luckinbills are moving out of State. Tributes were a large part of the breakfast salute at the Oswego American Legion Post 675 last week.
Mrs. Luckinbill helped cut the cake prepared as part of the salute. Tributes were from individuals who received benefits of group planning over the years directed by Herschel Luckinbill and as veterans on individual bases when in need of assistance, casual or critical. Support of veterans was the main theme.
There was a time not too many years ago when the Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club was building the number of attendees. There was no required membership, just attend as you are at 7 a.m. at Grandma’s Table in Montgomery every other Thursday morning for breakfast, speakers, information, and conversation. The start of the day was important for many veterans. The number of World War II veterans began to dwindle, nonetheless, an increase of men and women in attendance continued. Many in attendance came from an area far greater than Montgomery, Oswego, Aurora. They came from DuPage County. They came from Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, South Elgin, from Sugar Grove, and from Yorkville and Plano.
Soon the maximum of 66 was reached at Grandma’s Table. Holiday celebrations, a special breakfast, especially, and other gatherings, found a lack of room to accommodate everyone. Other sites were used, then COVID-19 took hold and canceled meetings were the order of the day. Gradually a few meetings were held at Roosevelt-Aurora American Legion Post 84 in downtown Aurora.
Stephanie Kifowit, State representative from parts of Oswego, Montgomery, Aurora, and Naperville and Troy Parlier, mayor of Oswego, made presentations. along with others. The Navy veteran has been active in an annual reunion of the ship he served, the USS O’Brien (see photo), and many other veterans’ activities.
Those in attendance offered thanks and made it clear Herschel Luckinbill will be missed by veterans and non-veterans and that he made a difference.
Clear and Concise, Week 8, Year 2:
Inanimate objects take animate forms, according some narratives. Benches in sports do not play, reserves play. Benches stay firmly fixed to its place.