In conjunction with Elmhurst’s 104th Memorial Day Parade, True Patriots Care will stage a patriotic display of some 130 American flags—honoring service members from Elmhurst’s public and private high schools killed in action—in the Wilder Park on the lawn east of the Wilder Mansion from Thursday through Monday, May 26-30.
“Each of the flags will have the name of the soldier and short bio,” said Jerry Christopherson, President of True Patriots Care, U.S. Army veteran and Building Manager at York Community High School since 2004.
In 2019 for Elmhurst’s 101st Memorial Day Parade, True Patriots Care staged a patriotic display of more than 400 American flags honoring service members from Illinois killed in action since September 11, 2001, as done in 2017.
For Elmhurst’s 100th Memorial Day Parade in 2018, True Patriots Care staged more than 1,600 American flags throughout Wilder Park in honor of Vietnam War service members who were prisoners of war (POW) and missing in action (MIA).
True Patriots Care annually does a Flags of Honor at the entrance to Elmhurst’s York Community High School for Veterans Day in Honor of the 101 alums killed in action. Each flag had the name and war in which each soldier died in service for our country.
The Wilder Park display will be lit through each of the nights using whisper-quiet portable lighting provided by Elmhurst University.
A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit foundation, True Patriots Care is dedicated to the recognition and support of first responders and armed services members who have served their communities. Visit the organization’s website (truepatriotscare.com) for more information.
Allison Wiggins Hanchett, Director of Information Technology for the Elmhurst Park District, is among True Patriots Care’s Board members.
True Patriots Care counts the Gary Sinise Foundation (garysinisefoundation.org) and Vets Roll (vetsroll.org) among its national partners.