Grayslake Remembers American Heroes On Memorial Day

Service members, community members and children rallied together during Grayslake’s Memorial Day celebration to honor those who have served and to recognize the men and women who have died while in the line of duty.

Local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, students from Grayslake North and Central Marching Bands and Poms, YMCA Adventure Guides and Princesses, the , the and were among many organizations that marched through downtown Grayslake on May 30 as part of the Memorial Day parade.

Monica Graham, a Grayslake resident, was one of many parents who brought her children out to the parade to celebrate the holiday.

“We like honoring the soldiers,” she said.

Ruth Woodruff has lived in Grayslake since moving to the area in 1943 and formally taught in the Grayslake school system. She said Memorial Day events in Grayslake are a family tradition.

“We came to this parade for years. My dad would bring us to all the parades and as we got older we brought him to the parades,” she said.

Others at the parade also considered the event a tradition.

Helen Trage of Grayslake attended with her son Peter. Her husband and daughter marched in the parade as members of the YMCA Adventure Guides and Princesses.

“We usually come every year,” she said.

Calvin and Mitchell Fein marched in the parade alongside their father, David Fein, as part of the Adventure Guides group.

“I have two favorite parts, throwing candy and seeing my friends,” Calvin Fein said.

A Memorial Day ceremony immediately followed the parade in Memorial Park.

The service honored two local service members who were lost in the war: Marines Lance Cpl. Sean Patrick Maher, and Army Spc. Joey Whiting Dimock II. Both men’s parents and family participated in the “presentation of the wreaths” to commemorate them. 

“This is one of the most special ceremonies in Grayslake,” said Grayslake Mayor Rhett Taylor.

Keynote speaker Brig. Gen. Antone F. Remich, an Army retiree, detailed America’s long history of war and the character of young men and women who continue to serve the country.

“The average age of a military man is 19. He is short-haired, tight-muscled, not yet old enough to buy a beer but old enough to die for his country. He is working from dawn till dusk. He is self-sufficient but instinctively he is a team player. He feels every note of the national anthem. He is quietly paying the price for our freedom,” he said.

Maher was killed in action on patrol with Weapons Company 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines in Iraq on Feb. 2, 2005. Dimock died from wounds suffered while serving with 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Forward Operating Base in Salerno, Afghanistan on July 10, 2010.

Robert Wegge, past commander of VFW Post 2245 and member of American Legion Post 659, said he was privileged to know Dimock. “He was a handsome, young Ranger. Joey was a true patriot,” he said.

About both men he said, “May they rest in God’s arms."

The ceremony also included performances by Grayslake North and Central High School bands and Grayslake Central High School’s Choir.

The American Legion Color Guard ceremoniously shot off rifles and a moment of silence followed. Kevin Sheckler, the associate pastor of , led the benediction.

Paul Ahern, commander of VFW Post 2245, closed the event saying, “Reach out to a veteran or to a family (of a veteran) throughout the week.”

Roberta Pfeiffer, a Grayslake Exchange Club member, attended the ceremony with her husband. She said the event was especially meaningful because the Maher family lives in her subdivision.

“We’re remembering those who have given their lives and those that have served and are still with us today. I’m just amazed at how many people were here,” she said.

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