May 27

May 27 Memorial Day

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, CTA, Demonstrations, Public Declarations, Street

“Some say freedom is free, but I tend to disagree
I say freedom is won, through the barrel of a gun
Had a brother in Iraq, he didn’t come back
I ask why oh why, do soldiers gotta die
Some say freedom is free, but I tend to disagree
I say freedom is won, through the blood of someone’s son”

— Bruce Springsteen, Freedom Cadence (Thank You For Your Service), 2017

You may have opposed the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somali, Kosovo, Vietnam, or Korea; or you may have favored one or more of those or other U.S. military incursions. It doesn’t matter. The policy justifications and the decisions to deploy were made at the highest levels of the United States government: The President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Congressional leadership.

Once the decision was made, the work required to accomplish the task at hand fell on the infantrymen, airmen, and sailors, who were often required to put their bodies and souls on the line. Even if the decision to deploy the military later proved to be bad one—based on faulty intelligence, misguided geopolitical calculations, poor planning, or opposition at home—the men and women on the frontlines simply did what they were told. For that reason, Memorial Day is an important opportunity for each of us to acknowledge those who have died while serving in the military—although in practice, we also give thanks to all who have served in the military during the day’s ceremonies and parades.

Today, Chicago came out two days before Monday, the holiday’s official designation. The day’s celebration began in Daley Plaza, with a 50-minute ceremony that included speeches by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and leaders from the various military branches. Two terrific singers took on the National Anthem and America, the Beautiful. Several high school students received awards. And four wreaths were placed adjacent to the eternal flame in Daley Plaza. The flame was dedicated on August 22, 1972, by Mayor Richard J. Daley. The plaque next to the flame reads, “Eternal Flame in memory of the men and women who have served in our armed forces from the Revolutionary War to present. Army, Marine, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves and Merchant Marines."

Since his inauguration 12 days ago, Mayor Johnson has had to deal with some tough issues—putting his mark on the City Council’s leadership, dealing with the influx of migrants, negotiating with the state legislature and Governor Pritzker for additional state funding, developing a plan to shore up Chicago’s seriously depleted pension funds, preparing for the uptick in violence that traditionally begins Memorial Day weekend, and addressing other knotty and seemingly insoluble issues.

Johnson probably would have preferred to have had a relaxing Saturday morning—maybe even catching an extra hour of sleep—but his new job requires him to anchor countless parades, ribbon cuttings, church gatherings, festivals, community events, and location-appropriate public announcements, like the press conference on Thursday at the 63rd Street Beach. Today was another such outing. He brought game.

Johnson’s remarks about Memorial Day’s significance were pitch perfect, telling the 200 people who were in attendance that, ”Memorial Day reminds us that the price of freedom is high and we must never take that for granted.” He also brought a little levity to an otherwise somber occasion— good-naturedly noting when one of the speakers was from the South Side or his beloved West Side. When he mentioned the South Side, one audience member reminded everyone where the White Sox play ball.

Johnson also used his already familiar “Soul of Chicago” signature phrase, which the City’s Corporation Counsel might consider trademarking. Everytime he says it, I think of Barbara Acklin, Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, Don Cornelius (of Soul Train fame), Tyrone Davis, the Impressions, Major Lance, Curtis Mayfield, and a host of others.

When I walked over to Daley Plaza shortly before the 11:00 AM start time, I didn’t see any marching units or floats lined up on Wacker Drive, as is the case for the annual Columbus Day celebration. Admittedly, I didn’t have a good view as I looked north, but Wacker appeared empty. I was therefore puzzled when I looked north on State Street during the parade’s 90 minute span: Where did all these bands, floats, and marchers come from?

As a parade, this was not one of my favorites. Formation after formation of uniformed people—many in high school—marching down the street isn’t visually arresting. I prefer a few clowns, jugglers, acrobats, and lots of colorful floats, but that is not what today is all about. Dignity is the order of the day. Some of the units did break the mold, including the Vietnamese, Koreans, and biker brigades.

What surprised me the most was JROTC—Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. I certainly recall ROTC from the many protests on college campuses during the Vietnam War over campus ROTC programs. But JROTC? Many area high schools apparently have not only active, but also popular programs designed to inculcate students in the duties and values that come with citizenship. In retrospect, I should not have been surprised. Over 2,300 years ago, Plato, in his Republic, emphasized the need to prepare the young for leadership roles.

According to a 2022 New York Times article, the Pentagon insists that JROTC is not a recruiting tool, but the Army reports that 44% of its recruits come from JROTC programs. Mike Baker, Nicolas Bogel-Burroughs, and Ilana Marcus, Thousands of Teens are Being Pushed in Military’s Junior R.O.T.C., December 11, 2022. That percentage may explain why the Pentagon spends $400 million annually on the program, with some 3,500 high schools around the country participating.

As the title of the Times article suggests, JROTC is not without controversy. When the Chicago Tribune re-published the article, it did so under the headline JROTC Programs in School Are Supposed to Be Elective. But In Chicago and Around the U.S., Thousands are Automatically Enrolled. Critics are also troubled by the fact that the program emphasizes discipline and conformity, rather than critical and independent thinking.

No doubt many in JROTC will choose a military career, but whether you are pro or con when it comes to the military, the Chicago student program does include some remarkable young people. Take Andres Flores, Jr., who is the 2023 Male Cadet of the Year. Flores is a member of Carver Military Academy varsity track and cross-country teams, the Carver Raider Team, Drill Team, and Color Guard.

His volunteer work includes 345 service hours, as well as repairing car brakes and oil changes. He is also bilingual in Spanish. Flores’ post-graduation goals include pursuing a career in software engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Or take Mariacarmen Arce, who is the 2023 Female Cadet of the Year. Arce is the number one ranked senior at Phoenix STEM Military Academy, and currently serves as the Company Commander for the PSMA Battalion. She has volunteered at homeless shelters, St. Procopius Church, the Chicago Park District’s Harrison Park, and served as the President of PSMA’s National Honor Society. Arce’s post-graduation goals include pursuing a professional degree in trauma medicine.

Both Flores and Arce would fit nicely into Plato’s proposed city, which Plato designed to assure justice.

Modie Lavin was among several others recognized during the ceremony. She is a Gold Star Mother, whose son, Corporal Connor T. Lowry, died during combat 2012 combat operations in Afghanistan. Lavin is the Senior Outreach Coordinator for the Road Home Program at the Center for Veterans and Their Families.

Overall, the City of Chicago did an excellent job marking Memorial Day. Unfortunately, as of late Saturday night, Chicago’s media outlets largely ignored the ceremony and the parade—although I did see several television cameras on the media platform. Maybe articles about the ceremony and parade will appear on Monday.

Images from the Parade Are Not in Chronological Order. [Click on an Image to Enlarge It]