Ceremony to honor WWII service members

Des Plaines VFW Post 2992 and the Des Plaines History Center are planning a ceremony Saturday, August 15, at 11 a.m. at Lake Park Memorial Pavilion on Lee Street in Des Plaines to commemorate the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices made by local men and women in World War II. The date of the event falls on the 70th anniversary of the Japanese surrender and the end of the war.

The ceremony will feature a “living timeline,” which will consist of people sharing their remembrances from the outset of the war until VE Day (Victory in Europe, May 8, 1945) and VJ Day (Victory over Japan, August 15, 1945). After the living timeline, the audience will be invited to speak about their own involvement or a family member’s service in the armed forces, support organizations, industry, or on the home front.

Organizers of this event have called on the Des Plaines City Council to pass a proclamation recognizing August 15 as “Spirit of ’45 Day.” For more information, call the History Center at 847-391-5399.