Will Cook County News

By Nuha Abdessalam.

Private First Class (PFC.) Aaron Toppen was 19 when he was killed during a military operation in Afghanistan.

A Mokena native and 2013 graduate of Lincoln-Way East High School, he had joined the Army to serve his country. He became one of thousands of Illinois service members lost in post-9/11 conflicts.

This Monday, May 26, 2025, Mokena remembers him, along with so many others.

The village will hold its Memorial Day remembrance ceremony at 10 a.m. at Pioneer Cemetery, 11240 W. 191st St. Local officials, veterans and residents will gather to honor the fallen. Afterward, refreshments will be served at the Mokena VFW, 19852 Wolf Rd.

Across Will and Cook counties, other communities will mark the day in their own ways. Some will honor the fallen with flags and speeches, others with silence.

In Berwyn, the day begins with a flag-raising at 9 a.m. at the Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center, 1529 S. Harlem Ave.

Crest Hill will host two ceremonies. The first takes place at 9 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial in Town Center Park, 1610 Plainfield Rd. The second begins at 2 p.m. at City Center, 20600 City Center Blvd.

Romeoville’s ceremony starts at 10 a.m. at the Edward “Doc” McCartan Veterans Memorial, 11 Montrose Drive.

Lockport will also hold its event at 10 a.m., by the flagpole at City Hall, 222 E. 9th St.

Orland Park’s ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at the Ara Pacé Memorial outside Village Hall, 14700 S. Ravinia Ave.

The event will feature music from the Orland Park Children’s Choir, guest speakers, a reading of five new names added to the memorial wall, and a 21-gun salute.

Palos Heights will hold its service at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial in Memorial Park, 7607 W. College Dr.

In Blue Island, former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn will speak at an 11 a.m. ceremony at Memorial Park, 12804 S. Highland Ave., hosted by American Legion Post 50. A community breakfast will follow at the field house.

Each town observes Memorial Day in its own way. Some with music. Some with prayer. Others with the quiet recitation of names. But the meaning remains the same.

Memorial Day is not about the start of summer. It is about sacrifice.

Whether you attend a ceremony, visit a memorial or take a quiet moment at home, the meaning is the same.

They were part of our towns, our families, our homes.

They are remembered.

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