Veterans Day Observance at Cantigny Will Light Up the Night

 Cantigny Park and the First Division Museum will commemorate Veterans Day (Friday, November 11) with a solemn tribute to those who died in combat while serving our country.  

“This year’s observance will again be a stunning visual reminder of the human cost of being a free nation,” said Paul Herbert, executive director of the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park.  “As a community this is an opportunity to honor all veterans, living or dead, and give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy today because of their service.”

It will be Cantigny Park’s fourth Veterans Day featuring a massive light display.  Approximately 2,200 luminaries will be placed on the Cantigny Parade Field and sidewalks, each candle representing six 1^st Infantry Division soldiers killed in action from World War I to the present.  The lights also honor the more than 650,000 men and women who gave their lives in combat since the Revolutionary War.

The Luminary Tribute will begin at dusk (approximately 6 pm) and conclude at 9 pm.  Admission is free and open to all.  Visitors are welcome to walk through the rows of lights or observe the display from three sides on a designated driving route.  The tribute will take place regardless of weather conditions.

In honor of Veterans Day, the First Division Museum will offer extended hours, remaining open until 9 pm.  At 6 pm and again at 8 pm, the museum will present “Veterans’ Voices,” a program featuring living history re-enactors reading actual letters written and posted by soldiers over the years.  The program was so popular in 2010 that a second presentation was added for this year.

Inside the Cantigny Visitors Center, at the gift shop, the museum will debut its latest publication: Happy Days!  The book of illustrations depicts the First Division’s involvement in World War I.

Cantigny Post 556 of the American Legion will host tables at the museum and Visitors Center during the Luminary Tribute.  Bertie’s Coffee Shop will be open throughout the evening for snacks and refreshments.

Parking at Cantigny is free on Veterans Day.  Admission to the First Division Museum is always free.  For more details visit FirstDivisionMuseum.org or call 630.260.8227.