Schakowsky, Staackman Headline Uplifting 9/11 Ceremony at Legion Post

The sky-blue backdrop was eerily reminiscent of the 100 percent clear tragic morning exactly 10 years previously.

And yet the windup to the day was radically different. While a somber remembrance prompted the Village of Morton Grove’s Patriot Day 9/11 Commemoration Sunday morning outside the American Legion Post 134 headquarters, a message of triumph and positivism was the theme of the day.

Several hundred Morton Grove residents packed rows of bleachers to overflowing as honor guards from the Legion post and the police department framed the 45-minute ceremony with pomp and circumstance, around speakers led by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Village President Daniel J. Staackmann.

But no matter how regal the ceremony or the identity of the speaker, those in attendance believed they had to be in attendance, whether the date read 2011 or 2021. No one alive on 9/11 will ever forget.

American resolve re-affirmed

“It’s very important to remember,” said Mary Futrell, an early arrival who staked out a front-row-and-center seat. “Every time you remember, it re-affirms our resolve as Americans.”

Sitting behind Futrell were Mike Zachacki and Lily Chatman.

“They’re all important,” Zachcacki said of 9/11 anniversaries.

Every anniversary is a teaching day. That angle was noted by Village Trustee Shel Marcus, the moderator of the 9/11 commemoration.

“It’s wonderful to see so many young people who may not have even been born” on Sept. 11, 2011, he said.

Staackmann gave the most patriotic talk, noting how an “evil cabal dedicated in the belief there’d be no acceptance of freedom of speech, freedom of religion” could not defeat the United States. “The 9/11 attack was an attempt to destroy our ideology. It failed.”

U.S. better prepared: Schakowsky

Schakowsky first paid tribute to Morton Gove’s first responders, then the Navy Seals team that tracked down Osama bin-Laden. Then, in her role as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, she said the U.S. was far better prepared to thwart major terrorist attacks as a result of post-9/11 improvements.

Afterward, as she talked with program attendees, Schakowsky credited much better coordination of “millions” of bits of information among the major intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

“It’s not an accident there hasn’t been a (major) terrorist attack here since 9/11,” she said.

The Patriot Day event gave the American Legion post a chance to show its true colors in all their glory.

Dan Stotz, head of the color guard, had every service flag and others represented.

Divided between Vietnam and Korea vets, flag bearers were: Casey Bachara (Army flag), Mel Buity (Navy flag) Dennis Dziedzic (Marine flag), Hank Silva (Air Force flag), Dick Pitz (Coast Guard flag), Ken Trumbull (U.S. flag), Joe Piento (POW flag) and Joe Lambert (Legion post flag). Riflemen were Joe Gesicki and Ed Kilb.

In their dress blues, the police department fielded a crew to handle the volley salute.

Other speakers were police chief Mark Erickson and fire chief Tom Friel, who told of the history of the fire bell ceremony.

View the photo gallery from this event.

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