The next meeting of CVO will be this Wednesday, May 15th at 7 PM in the 2nd floor Conference Room of the Jesse Brown VA at 820 S Damen in Chicago.

We will be holding elections to the CVO Executive Committee at this meeting! You must be a member to vote.

Also on the Agenda: CAN-TV. We will discuss hosting a regular show, in rotation with other Veterans groups, on CAN-TV. Volunteers to get trained and participate in this project need to be at this meeting.

We’ll also discuss the latest developments in getting HR 96 – Dental Care for ALL Veterans – voted on and passed in the House of Representatives.

… and MORE!!

As usual, we will have refreshments. Parking in the garage will be validated. Get your validation when you arrive!

See you there!

Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade honors all men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am on Daley Plaza (Dearborn and Washington Streets). The parade will then step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street.

Major General Marion Garcia, Commanding General, 200th Military Police Command, United States Army Reserve, will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal. Maj. Gen. Garcia graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1987 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Military Police Corps. She has served in a wide variety of staff and leadership assignments as well as during multiple deployments including: Rear Battle Plans Officer with the 14th Military Police Brigade during Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm; Commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 720th Military Police Battalion during Operation Provide Comfort Somalia, Commander of the 324th Military Police Battalion with a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq; and Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Her numerous awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Parachutist Badge and German Armed Forces Efficiency Badge (Bronze).

During the Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade, the City of Chicago honors fallen heroes and Gold Star family members who have lost a loved one in the United States Armed Forces to combat operations or while on active duty. Approved by Congress beginning in 1947, Gold Star Lapel Pins and the Next of Kin Lapel Pins are presented to families not as an award, but as symbols of honor worn by family members in remembrance of their fallen loved ones and their ultimate sacrifice.

The County Department of Veterans Affairs will host a Veterans Affairs Outreach Forum on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at the Brookfield Zoo, Swan Pavilion. In addition to the Veterans Outreach forum, there will be a picnic for Veterans and their families. You must RSVP to be a part of the Veterans Picnic. Please share this information with other veterans and veteran organizations.

Please fill out the attached registration form and send back as soon as possible. The RSVP deadline date is July 19, 2019.

Download (PDF, 713KB)

The next meeting of CVO is this Wednesday, September 18th at 7 PM at the Jesse Brown VA (820 S Damen in Chicago) in the 2nd floor Conference Room.

Anthony Travis will be making a presentation on the tax system and how it affects veterans and what we need to do about it. Anthony is a dynamic speaker and has studied the Illinois tax system in detail.

As usual, refreshments will be served and parking in the garage will be validated. Get your validation at the front desk when you arrive!

See you there!

The next meeting of CVO will be this coming Wednesday, October 16th at 7 PM in the 2nd floor Conference Room of the Jesse Brown VA Hospital (820 S Damen in Chicago).

The agenda will include a presentation by Adam Winters, the Veterans representative from Rep. Quigley’s office (5th District). We will also discuss a major fundraising event in the spring of 2020 with Thaddies Holloway..

The CVO Executive Committee will meet in the Conference Room at 6 PM. All Executive Committee members should arrive early (5:45) to make sure the meeting starts on time and we have enough time to conduct the business at hand.

As usual, parking in the garage will be validated. Get your parking validation at the front desk when you arrive.

Refreshments – including pizza – will be served.

See you at the meeting!

The next meeting of the Coalition of Veterans Organizations will be held on Wednesday, November 20th at 7 PM in the 2nd floor Conference Room of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (820 S Damen in Chicago).

On the agenda will be a presentation about the new Poor People’s Campaign, a discussion of holding a major fundraiser next spring, and more.

Refreshments will be served. Parking in the garage will be validated. Get your parking validated at the front desk when you arrive.

See you there!

Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade honors all men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am on Daley Plaza (Dearborn and Washington Streets). The parade will step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street. The Chicago parade is considered one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the nation. Since 1870, Memorial Day parades have graced the streets of Chicago. Wreath Laying Ceremony begins at 11 am; Parade begins at 12 Noon

The Chicago Memorial day parade is on, Saturday, May 27, 2023 and starts at
12 noon on Wacker Drive between Dearborn and State St..

The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) are honored to announce the Grand Marshal for Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremony on Saturday, May 27. The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am at Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington St). The Parade will step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street. Major General Rodney Boyd, Assistant Adjutant General – Army of the Illinois National Guard and Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal. Originally from Chicago’s South Side, Major General Boyd is the highest-ranking African American Officer in Illinois National Guard’s 300 year history.

During the Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade, the City of Chicago honors fallen heroes and Gold Star family members who have lost a loved one in the United States Armed Forces to combat operations or while on active duty. Approved by Congress beginning in 1947, Gold Star Lapel Pins and the Next of Kin Lapel Pins are presented to families not as an award, but as symbols of honor worn by family members in remembrance of their fallen loved ones and their ultimate sacrifice.

The Illinois National Guard is celebrating their 300-year anniversary by commemorating significant dates in its history with communities across the state that share that history. Founded on May 9, 1723, the Illinois National Guard has and continues to draw its strength from the community. The National Guard is the oldest component of the U.S. military and the only military component with both state and federal missions.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony at 11am will also be livestreamed at Chicago.gov/live.

More information can be found at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/memorial_day_parade.html

Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade honors all men and woman who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11am at Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington Street). The Parade will step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street. Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant, U.S. Coast Guard will serve as this year’s Parade Grand Marshal. Rear Admiral Merchant, who was born in Chicago, recently made history by becoming the first African American female promoted to flag rank in U.S. Coast Guard history.

This year’s Major General John A. Logan Patriot Award will honor André Richardson King; and the City of Chicago will acknowledge two Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) students with the Cadets of the Year Award: C/LTC Lorena Mozo of Farragut Career Academy and C/Capt Fernando Gonzalez of Marine Leadership Academy.

During the Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade, the City of Chicago honors fallen heroes and Gold Star family members who have lost a loved one in the United States Armed Forces to combat operations or while on active duty. Approved by Congress beginning in 1947, Gold Star Lapel Pins and the Next of Kin Lapel Pins are presented to families not as an award, but as symbols of honor worn by family members in remembrance of their fallen loved ones and their ultimate sacrifice.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony at 11am will also be livestreamed at Chicago.gov/live.

More information at about this event  can be found here: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/memorial_day_parade.html