McHenry's Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive Ceremony-- Part 1: Dedicated to Uncle Delbert and Roy S. Hume

McHenry, Illiniois, commemorated the end of World War II yesterday for the 11th straight time.  Only this year it was different.  The first ten times the ceremony was held in Veterans Park downtown and the guests of honor were originally the World War II veterans (but now has been extended to the Korean War veterans).

They had special seats near the gazebo bandstand where a Big Band played before and afterwards.  Speeches were given by various politicians and commanders of veteran organizations.  McHenry has three of these:

American Legion
VFW
Polish Legion of American Veterans

Each veteran had their name read and branch of service, years served and something about their service.  Then there was a rifle salute by the Combined Veterans Honor Guard and white doves were released.  American flags were all over the park.

It is a striking ceremony and one that I have attended the last eight years.  But this year, I almost didn't get to go to it.  I wasn't even sure they were going to have it.  The ceremony is always scheduled for the second Sunday in August.  This is also the same day that Johnsburg's St. John the Baptist Church has their Parish Fest.  We always go to that as well, then I leave early and drive over to Veterans Park.

With the coronavirus this year, Parish Fest was canceled and I figured the Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive was as well.  With the advancing ages of our WW II and Korean War veterans, having their presence at a ceremony, even one outside did not seem to be a good idea.  But on Saturday night I found they were going to have it.

I will dedicate this year's Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive to my Uncle Delbert, who was a member of the 101st Airborne and at the Battle of the Bulge where he and one other member were the only two in his company to survive unscathed.

I also dedicate this to my buddy Mark's dad, Roy S. Hume, USN, who served on board the aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto along with a young officer named George H.W. Bush.

--GreGen