Under a clear mid-morning sky, the soft rustle of spring leaves at the Orland Park Village Green was punctuated by the solemn, rhythmic sound of the reading of names of the 13 new heroes that will be added to the granite panels of the Ara Pace Memorial.
Gathered around Ara Pacé — the Place of Peace veterans memorial — a couple of hundred people stood in quiet reverence Monday. They came not just to mark the unofficial end of a festive holiday weekend, but to fulfill a sacred local promise: ensuring that those who stepped forward to serve are never forgotten.
The official Memorial Day ceremony, orchestrated by the village and the Orland Park Veterans Advisory Board, served as a poignant capstone to a weekend of reflection. Just days after the community kicked off its countdown to America’s 250th birthday with a lively Red, White & Blue BBQ Fest and Parade, Monday’s gathering returned the town’s focus to the true, sobering cost of American freedom.
Dan Marsan, U.S. Navy veteran and Veterans Program Coordinator, emceed the program. “This day is about remembrance,” he said. “It’s about remembering the men who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Sgt. Major Daniel Miller, U.S. Marine Corps, (Ret.), spoke emotionally about his 30-year career in the military where he served two tours of active duty, including Desert Storm. “Within my combat tours in Iraq, I had the honor of teaching, training and mentoring Marines.”
He said his career started in artillery and then infantry. “When the Marine Corps said they needed more infantry men I said ‘aye, aye’,” Miller said. “During my combat tours in Iraq, I saw bravery, self-sacrifice and the willingness to put others way before you.”
One of those places he served was called the ‘Triangle’ south of Bagdad. “It was a horrible place to be,” he said. “There were so many sacrifices made there. I know the sacrifices that were made were made for a reason; a belief in the flag and the freedoms we all hold dear.”
Miller, who served in Fallujah in 2004, said: “I’m very proud of what we did as Marines and as a country.”
The emotional epicenter of the day’s ceremony was the formal reading of the 13 newly engraved names on the memorial’s granite wall.
Mayor James Dodge stood before the crowd to read the names aloud—a list that spanned generations of American conflict, connecting a Civil War private to modern-day service members.
Among the names added to the permanent legacy of the wall were three members of the Wesley family (spanning the Army and Navy from 1951 to 1982), Civil War veteran Joseph R. Ward Jr., and contemporary heroes whose service stretches into the present day.
Dodge told the crowd: “I invite our community to join us as we honor their legacy and express our deepest gratitude for the freedoms they helped protect.”
“On Memorial Day, we pause to remember the sacrifice of the men and women who gave their lives defending our nation,” he said.
The ceremony seamlessly wove together local history and military tradition. Veterans from the American Legion Orland Memorial Post 111, the Veterans Voices Military Group, and the VFW Reber-Tesmond Post 2604 precision-posted the colors against the backdrop of Village Hall.
The heavy, historic weight of the morning was beautifully balanced by the bright, clear voices of the Orland Park Children’s Choir. The youth ensemble led the crowd in the National Anthem and later performed a moving Service Song Medley, bringing many attendees — young and old alike — to tears.
As the noon hour approached, the ceremony reached its traditional, heartbreaking conclusion. The sharp, sudden crack of a 21-gun salute shattered the suburban quiet, followed by the lonely, piercing notes of Taps drifting across the lawn.
As families began folding up their lawn chairs and gathering veteran certificates of recognition from village staff, many lingered by the wall. For Orland Park, the newly carved names that will soon appear on the stone are not just historical data; they are a living registry of sacrifice, permanently woven into the fabric of the town.
For residents who were unable to attend the outdoor service on Ravinia Avenue in person, a full broadcast of the ceremony remains available to watch on the Village of Orland Park YouTube Channel.
