Chicago Welcomes Home The Heroes Event
December 14-15, 2012

The Chicago Welcomes Home the Heroes Event

The Chicago Welcomes Home the Heroes Event is an opportunity for
the community to come together and properly welcome home our Iraq
War Veterans while showing continued support for our troops in
Afghanistan.

The Reading of the Fallen Ceremony

For the Reading of the Fallen Ceremony, we will read the names
of all the fallen from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
(approximately 6,515) to commemorate those who have made
the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The reading is dedicated to
Gold Star Families and will begin at 9:11 am and continue until
all the names have been read.
* Date: Friday, December 14, 2012
* Start Time: 9:11 am
* Location: Thompson Center Outdoor Plaza

Chicago Welcomes Home the Heroes Parade

After every war in modern U.S. history, we as a nation have
honored our Veterans with parades, and now that the Iraq War
has concluded, we want to recognize and honor this current
group of Veterans and their families in the same manner. While
this parade will be dedicated to welcoming home those Veterans
who served during our Post-9/11 wars, we would like to invite
our entire military community to participate and be honored.
* Date: Saturday, December 15, 2012
* Start Time: 12:00 pm
* Parade Route: Columbus Drive between Balbo and Monroe

The Veterans Resource Reception

To help bridge the gap between Veterans and the resources
available to them, we will be hosting a Veterans Resource
Reception immediately following the parade. The objective of the
Veterans Resource Reception is to promote and facilitate
sustained support for Veterans and their families.
* Date: Saturday, December 15, 2012
* Start Time: Immediately following the parade
* Location: Grand Army of the Republic Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center