MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND APPROACHES WOULD LIKE HONOR LATINOS WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE U.S. MILITARY AND WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CHICAGO AREA.

JOINING US NOW TO TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THEIR STORIES ARE MICHAEL TOLD A U.S. ARMY VETERAN AND COMMANDER OF AMERICAN LEGION STAFF SERGEANT JASON VASQUEZ POST 9, 3, 9, ALDERMAN PETER CHEEK WILL OF THE 10TH WARD WHO IS SPONSORING MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY IN SOUTH CHICAGO THIS SUNDAY.

MAY 26 GLORIA CHAVEZ GOLDMAN'S A SISTER PRIVATE ON UG CHAVIS, A U.S. MARINE WHO WAS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY AT THE AGE OF 19 DURING THE VIETNAM WAR BUNDLES.

TO A U.S. ARMY VETERAN AND COMMANDER OF THE AMERICAN AND WEIGHT.

THAT IS JUNIOR POST 10, 17 IN LITTLE VILLAGE AND VIA ZOOM BROKE BY THE U.S. NATIONAL GUARD VETERAN, A SECOND PLATOON LEADER AT THE MISSION CONTINUES IN CHICAGO AND A MEMBER OF AMERICAN AND WEIGHT.

THAT IS JUNIOR POST 10, 17.

WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.

IT IS A PACKED HOUSE NOW.

I'LL YOU GO.

I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

YOUR OFFICE IS PARTICIPATING IN A MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY IN SOUTH CHICAGO THIS SUNDAY.

TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THIS EVENT.

>> THIS OF WE GATHER TWICE HERE FOR A MEMORIAL DAY AND VETERANS DAY AND WE'RE HONORING 12 YOUNG MEN WHO DIED IN VIETNAM.

THOSE MEN WERE BROTHERS, COUSINS.

AND FRIENDS IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND WE HAVE TO TO COME TO PUT OURSELF, MAKE SURE THEIR LIFE LIVES ON LEGACY LIVES ON.

>> HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE EMOTIONS OF THAT DAY?

MANY NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT'S A SOMBER DAY.

WHEN THE COMMUNITY GATHERS THERE TWICE A YEAR WE DO FIND SOME CELEBRATION BECAUSE WE'RE ALL TOGETHER CELEBRATING THOSE MEN WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.

>> AND YOU'RE GOING TO YOU GREW UP IN SOUTH CHICAGO.

CAN YOU PROVIDE US WITH SOME HISTORY ABOUT THE FALLEN SOLDIERS CORNER MURAL IN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT LOCATION?

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING IF I DON'T GET TOO EMOTIONAL BECAUSE MIX OF EMOTIONS FAR, ALL THOSE THAT HAVE LOST SOMEONE AND FOR TO GO IN REUNITE.

AT THE OUR WEATHER LOOP IN MEMORIAL.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL THING TO HAVE THEM WERE SITTING UP THERE AND HAVING IT TO BE CELEBRATED AND TO NEVER FORGET, BECAUSE I ALWAYS FIGURE THEY SERVED.

THEIR JOB WAS TO SERVE AND OUR JOB IS SO THAT WE COULD REMEMBER THEM AND WE WILL CELEBRATE THEM AND HELP THE YOUNGER GENERATION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WAR IS AND WHAT IT DOES AND WHEN IT CAN BRING FOR US FREEDOM.

THESE YOUNG MEN, 12 YOUNG MEN DIED FOR OUR FREEDOM.

THEY WILL LIVE.

WITH GOD DID WILLING GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO MOVE FORWARD.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO TELL THE STORIES.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND COMMANDER TOURS, I WANT TO BRING YOU IN THE AMERICAN LEGION POST DATES BACK TO 1919.

BUT IN 2019.

>> YOU CHARTED POST 9, 3, 9, AND THEN AS I SAID IN 2019 WOULD NEED TO TAKE ON THIS INITIATIVE.

DID YOU FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, VETERANS WERE UNDERREPRESENTED IN YOUR AREA?

WHAT MADE YOU?

>> WANT TO START SO WELL?

YOU FIRST OF I THINK ALL OF US, ALL OF HIS VOTES AND GIVEN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT, OH, THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING FOR VETERANS IN THE NEEDS TO BE DONE.

I CESAR JASON VASQUEZ POSED FOR MANY ONE OF THEM BEING THAT I KNOW WHAT IT IS TO GOAL IN 2 VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND SEE.

A CONFEDERATE FLAG UP.

AND I'M TALKING ABOUT LAST CHICAGO.

THIS WAS THE, YOU KNOW, THE PAST.

SO THERE WAS A NEED FOR THAT.

WAS THAT FEELING FOR YOU?

CONFUSING?

BECAUSE IS 28 THAT HAS 2023.

NOW THAT'S PURPOSE AT THAT POINT THAT THAT'S PURPOSE.

BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER COVER.

SEE, SHOULD BUT MANY TIMES ABOUT PEOPLE COMMUNITY AND I'M STRUGGLING CAN SPEAK TO THIS.

YOU KNOW, YOU COME, YOU SERVE AND THEN YOU PUT YOUR UNIFORM AWAY.

YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT IT.

MEMORIAL DAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MEMORIAL THE 4TH OF JULY IN OUR COMMUNITIES DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY.

AND THAT'S A SHAME.

AND I THINK THAT MANY GREAT MEN AND WOMEN OF PANDA.

SO LET YOU KNOW, SOME WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR COUNTRY AND WE SHOULD REMEMBER THE MEN AND YOUR POST NAMED ACTUALLY AFTER YOUR FRIEND, RIGHT SERGEANT JASON BASKETS.

CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIM?

HE WAS STAFF SERGEANT VAZQUEZ.

>> DIED IN 2008 IN A ROADSIDE BOMB IN AFGHANISTAN.

HE WAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIER.

HE WAS ALSO.

>> COOK COUNTY SHERIFF.

SO HE WAS SERVING IN 2 CAPACITIES.

HE WAS SERVING ON THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THEN HE WAS SERVING THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND HE WAS TAKEN FROM US.

HE WAS ROBBED FROM US WITH A THINK OF JASON.

I SOMEONE WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN A LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY, SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE INSTEAD OF ME, RIGHT?

KNOW.

AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.

THIS WORK.

WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT HIM?

MY WAS MISTER LOGAN SQUARE.

>> GETTING MYLES LOGAN SQUARE.

I LIKE WHEN YOU WANT TO GO TO YOUR THE COMMANDER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 10 17, WHICH UNDERWAY BUT IS JUNIOR THE MEXICAN AMERICAN, A PRIVATE WHO WAS KILLED DURING WORLD WAR?

2, YOU CAME HERE TODAY AFTER SELLING PUPPIES ON THE STREET IN LITTLE VILLAGE.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PUPPIES FOR UNKNOWN WITH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PUPPIES OF COURSE, IS TO RED THAT WE TO FUND ITS A FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES.

>> WE PURCHASED THOSE FROM STING OF DISABLED PREPARE HIM MAKING WE FROM THE DISABLED VETERANS.

AND WE IN TURN, GO AHEAD SOLICIT FUNDING.

YOU KNOW, AND WE USE THAT TO HELP OUT TO VETERANS.

WHETHER YOU'RE A VETERAN OR MILITARY AND ANY TIME OF NEED.

THE FUNDS KIND OF RECYCLED BACK, YOU KNOW.

YES, ABLE TO US BACK TO ANOTHER BACK, OF COURSE.

AND YOUR POST 10, 70 WAS LAUNCHED IN 1946, WHAT WOULD YOU SHARE?

SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES YOU FACE A RECRUITING YOUNGER MEMBERS?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR POST PROBABLY THE ONLY LATINO POST IN THE STATE OF IT WAS CHARTERED IN 1946.

SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 4 TO 78 YEARS NOW, SO YOU KNOW, WE WE WERE WERE PROBABLY ONE OF THE OLDEST THE BASKET SUPPOSED MORE RECENT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE'RE, OF COURSE, RECRUITING.

YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY IS KICKING THE DOORS ONTO YOU KNOW, THERE THERE ARE OTHER VETERANS ASSOCIATIONS AND WHATNOT WE ALSO COMPETE WITH.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP THE LEGACY LIFE MAKING.

PEREZ WAS A OUT OF HIS REGIMENT OUT OF THE 11TH REGIMENT.

THERE WERE ONLY 2 CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS AND HE WAS ONE OF THE 2.

AND THAT WAS DURING WORLD WAR.

2.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S JUST A STORY TO TELL.

HE YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, WE TELL IT EVERY MEMORIAL DAY AT SAME THING AT VETERANS WE WERE INSTRUMENTAL BUILDING BASICALLY READ A NAME IN A BRAND-NEW SCHOOL IN THE PILSEN COMMUNITY, A 19 TON TROOP WHICH IS NAMED AFTER MY MY WHAT THAT I WAS INVOLVED WITH THAT.

ALSO I SERVED AS THE CHAIRMAN RAISE, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL $1000 TO RECKONED COMMISSION, SOME ARTIST TO SCULPT A LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF THEY DID.

YOU WOULD SIT AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND OHIO IS ACTUALLY A MEMBER EVER HAS A MEMBER OF OUR POLLS.

WANT TO BRING YOU IN.

YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE YOUNG POST, 10, 17 MEMBERS.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO JOIN?

>> YOU KNOW, MY NATIVE LITTLE VILLAGE AND OF COURSE, MOST COMMENDABLE IN JUST A LITTLE SUNSET.

OUR POST LOCATED LITTLE VILLAGE.

SO BEING OUT VOLUNTEERING WORK IN THE COMMUNITY IS THE MEMBERS OF MANY PROGRESS POST.

ALSO OUT THERE.

COLLABORATING SUPPORTING AND WE STARTED CONNECTING.

WE STARTED FINDING FINDING THAT.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD THOSE GOALS AND CALM ENOUGH WANTING TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.

SO I SAID THIS IS THE POST THAT I WANT TO BE A PART OF.

>> AND TALKING ABOUT SERVING THE COMMUNITY.

YOU'RE THE LEADER AT THE MISSION CONTINUES IN CHICAGO, A NONPROFIT THAT EMPOWERS VETERANS TO CONTINUE SERVING THEIR COMMUNITIES.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT JUST ABOUT THE SERVICES AT THIS ORGANIZATION PROVIDES.

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SO THE MISSION CONTINUES.

A NATIONAL BETTER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

WE HAVE 2 LEADERS MORE THAN 40 LOCATIONS FOR MAJOR CITIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

>> AND >> 2 LEADERS ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITIES AND THEY WANT TO CONTINUE SERVING UP TO THEIR SERVICE.

A LOT OF U.S. VETS EVEN AFTER REMOVING OUR UNIFORM.

WE WANT TO CONTINUE SERVING SO THE MISSION CONTINUES.

ENABLES A VETERANS TO CONTINUE THAT WORK BY CONNECTING LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORTING BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.

AND I FIND THOSE INITIATIVES IN PLACE IT.

WE CAN THEN BRING IN OTHER VETERANS WHO WANT TO FIND A MISSION AND BE PART OF SOMETHING GREAT AND CONTINUE WORKING AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY.

>> THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT IN GLORIA, YOU WILL BE SPEAKING AT THIS SUNDAY'S CEREMONY.

AND SO CHICAGO, BY YOUR BRIGHT, YOUR BROTHER, PRIVATE ANTHONY ILL, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIM.

HE WAS KILLED WHEN HE WAS 19 YEARS OLD.

YES, SOME.

>> HE HAD COME BACK AND HE GOT MARRIED TO JUDY MCCAULEY.

SHE HAS SINCE PASSED 2 YEARS AGO.

BUT AND HE WAS A VERY FINE YOUNG MAN, VERY BRIGHT.

HE WENT TO CVS.

HE WENT IN.

HE STUDYING ENGINEERING.

HE HAD A LITTLE AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER YOUNG, YOU LOSE ALL THE GOOD THINGS ARE THINGS.

ABSOLUTELY.

WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT HIM?

>> I WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT HE WAS VERY HONEST, STRONG, PATRIOTIC AND THE WHOLE THING IS.

WE LIVE FOR OUR COUNTRY TO KEEP US FREE AS OTHER COUNTRIES.

YOU SEE HOW THE ARE INVOLVED WITH THE WAR AND WE HAVE TO PROTECT IT.

UNITED STATES.

SO DAD, YET WAR DOES NOT COME IN OUR BACKYARD IN EVER HAPPENS.

WE WILL ALL BE IN BIG TROUBLE.

GLORIA, WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE SECONDS LEFT.

SO I JUST WANT TO GO REALLY QUICKLY.

JUST ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE MEMORIAL DAY.

>> IF YOU'D LIKE SEE.

>> IT'S JUST SO REMEMBRANCE OF OUR FALLEN.

WELL, THANK YOU