CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The city of Chicago hosted a Memorial Day event at the Daley Plaza in the Loop today.
U.S. Army Sgt. Major Michael Grinston gave the keynote address.
"Memorial Day is a day of national solemn reverence. A day for us to honor our military men and women who gave their lives in defense of our nation," Grinston said.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a veteran, said to her, Memorial Day is a joyous one and a sad one as she remembers those close to her who made the ultimate sacrifice, including Sergeant First Class bill Cheney, a Vietnam veteran who re-enlisted and went to Iraq at the age of 59.
"Bill Cheney was a hard-drinking, trash-talking, chain-smoking son of a gun. And right now, he'd be looking down at me going, 'What the eff, how did you make come a U.S. Senator?'"
Grinston recognized the family of Private First Class Andrew Miri from Plainfield who died in 2010 and Afghanistan stopping an insurgent from entering his base with a suicide vest.