Large crowd enjoys ceremony and delicious FREE lunch
By Jim Beers
CHESER, IL. – Monday November 11 was Veteran’s Day 2024 and the annual Veteran’s Day Ceremony was held at the VFW Post 3553 in Chester. It was a beautiful day and a large crowd came out to honor all United States Veterans.
World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919. The Treaty of Versailles actually ended the war. Fighting between Germany and the Allies had already stopped seven months earlier with the armistice which was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (November) in 1918.
Armistice Day was celebrated on November 11 of each year. In 1926 Armistice Day became a holiday in the United States and it took 12 years (1938) until it became a National Holiday. Sixteen years after that, on June 1, 1954, Armistice Day was changed to Veteran’s Day. Veteran’s Day was a day to honor all U.S. Veterans.
The City of Chester has always done an amazing job of celebrating Veteran’s Day. Celebrations have always been a joint effort of the American Legion Post 487 and the V.F.W. Post 3553. The event is alternated from year-to-year between the American Legion and the V.F.W. 2024 was the year in which the V.F.W. hosted the celebration.
The program began at precisely 11:00 a.m. with a warm welcome from Bryan Childs, Commander of VFW Post 3553. The Rev. Dr. Mike Fogerson then gave a wonderful Invocation which included a very brief Veteran’s Day Introduction followed by a prayer.
The Chester High School Band was on hand as usual to provide music for the event. Steve Colonel, CHS Band Director, directed the National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner” as everyone stood at attention and sang along with the band.
City of Chester Alderman, Bob Platt, “stood in” for Mayor Tom Page who was out of town in St. Louis. Platt welcomed everyone on behalf of Mayor Tom Page and thanked everyone for attending the ceremony.
Randy Werner, Commander of the American Legion Post 487 in Chester, then provided remarks to the audience and thanked the Chester Boy Scouts for all that they do for the city on all patriotic holidays with the posting of the American Flags all along the streets of Chester. He also thanked Steve Colonel, CHS Band Director, for the band’s faithful appearances at all patriotic events.
This year’s guest speaker was Lt. Colonel Mark Sedwrick. Lt. Sedwrick is a 29-year Army Veteran. He started by wishing all Marines in attendance a Happy 249th Birthday. He then stated that his military career started in the United States Coast Guard. He served in the Coast Guard for 12 years.
After retiring from the Coast Guard, he still served in the Coast Guard Reserves. He was called into active duty in the Persian Gulf. When conflict in the Middle East escalated, Sedwrick felt the need to respond to the need for American military personnel and joined the United States Army.
While in the Army he served in the Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His commitment to protect America created a necessity to be away from family and friends for approximately 5 years off-and-on during his service.
Upon his eventual retirement from the armed forces, Lt. Sedwrick decided to become a Lutheran Pastor and went to Seminary for four years. During that time he remained active as an Army Chaplain and spent time in Kuwait and Afghanistan. He eventually retired from the Army while being stationed at Scott Air Force Base.
Now that he is retired he has served in the area at Wine HiIl, St, Paul Parish and West Point. He feels the need to remain a bridge to the community for the military due to the fact that only 6% of the American Population is involved in the U.S. Military, while 94% has no affiliation with the U.S. Armed Services.
Sedwrick joined the V.F.W. after his retirement from the Coast Guard and encourages those eligible to become active both in the U.S. Armed Services as well as the V.F.W. and American Legion.
Following Sedwrick’s message, Steve Colonel directed the CHS Band in the playing of the Armed Forces Medley. This song features the theme songs of the various branches of the U.S. Military including the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Marines.
There is now a version of this medley that includes the most recent branch of the U.S. Military, the Space Force, but the Chester High School Music Library has not yet been updated to include this newest version.
As the theme song of each branch of service was being played, veterans from those respective branches were asked to stand and be recognized as the audience clapped and cheered to honor their service. This portion of patriotic services is always a very meaningful and rewarding tribute.
Another very meaningful portion of any major patriotic ceremony is the “Salute to Departed Veterans” at which time a firing squad conduces a 21-gun salute to honor departed veterans. A combined V.F.W. and American Legion Firing Squad of seven men went outside on the sidewalk of the V.F.W. and fired three volleys of seven rifle shots.
Immediately following the Salute, Chester High School sophomore trumpet player, Kendall Nanney, played “TAPS” to close the ceremony. It was Nanney’s first time to play such an event and she did an amazing job playing with clarity, volume, and accuracy.
The 2024 Veteran’s Day Ceremony concluded with a fitting Benediction by Rev. Dr. Mike Fogerson of the First Baptist Church of Chester.
A FREE luncheon consisting of Jumbo Hot Dogs, Sloppy Joes, Chips, and a variety of soft drinks was enjoyed by most in attendance. It was a wonderful time of food, fellowship, and taking quality time to visit with local veterans on their special day.
Chester Veteran’s Day guest speaker, Lt. Colonel Mark Sedwrick, a 12-year Coast Guard Veteran and 29-year Army Veteran addresses a large crowd Monday November 11 at the Chester V.F.W. Jim Bers Photo
Chester V.F.W. Post 3553 Commander, Bryan Childs, welcomes a large crowd at the 2024 Veretan’s Day Ceremony held at the Chester V.F.W. Jim Beers Photo
Commander Randy Werner of Chester American Legion Post 487 provides remarks at the 2024 Veteran’s Day Ceremony Monday November 11. Werner praised the efforts of the Chester Boys Scouts and the Chester High School Band for always providing such good service to making the annual patriotic ceremonies such a huge success. Jim Beers Photo
The Rev. Dr. Mike Fogerson of the First Baptist Church in Chester gave the Invocation and the Benediction at the 2024 Chester Veteran’s Day Ceremony. Jim Beers Photo
Chester Alderman, Bob Platt, provided remarks at the Veteran’s Day Ceremony in Chester Monday November 11. Platt “stepped-in” for Mayor Tom Page who was out of town in St. Louis at the time and was unable to attend. Platt was brief and to the points in his remarks and expressed the City’s appreciation for all local veterans. Jim Beers Photo
A large crowd attended the 2024 Veteran’s Day Ceremony hosted by the V.F.W. Post 3553 in Chester. The crowd enjoyed the program which was followed by a FREE luncheon provided by the V.F.W. staff. Jim Beers Photo