Orland Park Honors Its Three Illinois Honor 200 Veterans

The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and the Illinois Bicentennial Office honored 200 Illinois veterans during the state’s 2018 Bicentennial Celebration. Three of the veterans named Bicentennial Honor 200 Veterans are from Orland Park.

Illinois’s Honor 200 veterans represent more than 50 counties across the state. Nominees were evaluated based on their achievements and how their contributions have helped their communities.

At the January 7^th Village Board Meeting, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau and Trustee Jim Dodge, liaison to the village’s Veterans Commission, honored Orland Park’s three Illinois Honor 200 Veterans.

A United States Coast Guard veteran, Kevin Smith co-chairs Illinois Joining Forces, a group dedicated to improving the quality of life for every Illinois service member, veteran or family. Smith is the director of the Veterans Affairs Center at Governors State University and is a member of the Veterans Higher Education Affinity Group, a charitable organization dedicated to improving veteran retention in the work place.

Steve Blinn is an Operation Desert Storm U.S. Navy veteran having served from 1990 to 1995. Since he left the military in 1995, Blinn has devoted much of his time to helping veterans and the community with a number of organizations. Blinn is active with Chicago Stands Down, a group devoted to providing housing for homeless veterans, stabilizing their medical conditions and helping vets establish sources of income. Blinn is also involved with Merciful Minis which uses miniature horses for veterans’ therapy and the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Society Children of the American Revolution.

Vietnam Veteran Tom Dubelbeis serves as the veterans’ liaison for the village’s Veterans Commission. Nominated by Mayor Pekau, Dubelbeis served in the United States Army from 1970 to 1972. His community involvement began in 1984 when he coached for the Orland Youth Association Girls' Program going onto serve as the group's president. Dubelbeis served on the village's Recreation Advisory Board from 1987 through 1991 when he was elected village trustee.

Dubelbeis served as a village trustee for more than 10 years, retiring in August, 2001 to pursue a local business venture. During his tenure as a trustee, Dubelbeis donated his $600 monthly stipend to local veterans' organizations, a domestic violence shelter and other not-for-profits. When he retired from the village board, Dubelbeis donated the $5000 from his campaign fund to the village's Veterans Commission and the Orland Historical Society for the creation of a veterans' museum.

Dubelbeis chaired the village's Veterans’ Commission from 2002 until 2010 returning in 2015 to serve as the group's veterans' liaison. During his time away from the commission, Dubelbeis worked with businesses to recycle electronics to raise funds for computer training for veterans. He most recently chaired the Orland Park Veterans Golf Classic raising more than $31,000 for groups that support veterans.