The Village of Orland Park will host its official Memorial Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, May 25, outside the Village Hall. The annual tribute takes place directly on the Village Green at Ara Pacé – Place of Peace, the community’s dedicated granite veterans memorial 14700 S. Ravinia Ave.
The village will proudly recognize 13 veterans whose names were recently added to the memorial wall. They include: William J. Wesley, U>S>Army, 1951-1954; William M. Wesley, U.S. Army, 1972-1978; Anthony A. Wesley, U.S. Army, 1979-1982; Joseph R. Ward Jr., Civil War, 1861-1865; Raymond Edward Arndt Jr., U.S. Air Force, 1969-1972; Clifford E. Brown, U.S. Navy, 1983-1992; Daniel Pechnyo, U.S. Army, 1942-1951; Francis Joseph Gentile, U.S. Army, 1942-1945; James Robert Kaczmark, U.S.Army , 1867-1973; Dennis Daniel Rangel, U.S. Army, 1961-1962; Lawrence James Krull, U.S. Army, 1967-1970; Joseph T. Cistaro, U. S. Army, 1855-1958 and Joseph E. Cistaro, U.S. Army, 1987-present.
A Solemn Tradition
Under the leadership of Mayor James Dodge and the Orland Park Veterans Advisory Board, the ceremony will provide an open space for residents to honor the service members who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“On Memorial Day, we pause to remember the sacrifice of the men and women who gave their lives defending our nation,” Dodge stated. “I invite our community to join us as we honor their legacy and express our deepest gratitude for the freedoms they helped protect.”
The Ceremony Itinerary
The hour-long tribute is organized to provide a deeply respectful and traditional remembrance:
- Welcome Address: Delivered by Dan Marsan, U.S. Navy veteran and Veterans Program Coordinator.
- Flag Raising: The American flag will be hoisted by members of the American Legion Orland Memorial Post #111 and VFW Reber-Tesmond Post #2604.
- Musical Tributes: The Orland Park Children’s Choir will perform the National Anthem and “God Bless America.”
- Wreath Laying: A ceremonial wreath will be placed at the monument base by U.S. Navy Veteran and Commissioner Steven Bacho.
- Reading of the Wall: Mayor Dodge will read aloud the names of veterans recently engraved onto the memorial’s granite wall.
- Closing Honors: The event concludes with a traditional 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps.
Attendance Information
The village provides seating for 200 guests on the lawn, but attendees are highly encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs for comfort. For families unable to attend the outdoor service at 14700 S. Ravinia Ave., the entire program will be streamed live on the Orland Park YouTube Channel. Following the closing ceremony, families can pick up veteran certificates of recognition from village staff.