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Meet Matt Quitno: A former Navy Petty Officer turned DeKalb freshman football coach. After a transformative military experience that taught him resilience and teamwork, he's using those lessons still today.
Thank You, Veterans
A tribute to local veterans
Daily Chronicle/Shaw Local News Network
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Veterans of wars from two different centuries are buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore, and DeKalb County locals are trying to keep their legacies in living memory.
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With his video camera in hand, DeKalb resident Mike Tritle strives to shine a spotlight on veterans events in the community.
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Michael Embrey, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War-era veteran, recently reflected on the power of "Thank you," during his trip from Chicago to Washington D.C. as part of the Chicago Honor Flight group.
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Dezaraé Haley was bestowed with military honors for her service in Iraq and for risking her life to save a fellow serviceman. She now runs a local business in DeKalb.
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Have leftover Halloween candy? Want to donate to a veteran fund for local residents? That and other ways to support your veterans in DeKalb County here.
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On a cloudy Sunday morning in DeKalb, more than 100 people set off together, some outfitted in military regalia hoisting American flags while others pushed their children in strollers. The weather was fitting imagery for the day’s mission, lead organizer Cindy Hupke said.
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At 105 years old, World War II veteran John “Jack” Connerton is proud to still be able to drive himself around DeKalb County. Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1919, he said he remembers his time serving at a London base during the war.
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While combing through old things at the sale, John Wright of DeKalb, local collector of historical military artifacts, found something he’d never encountered: a nearly completely filled out World War I Service Record. It details the life of Sgt. Albert Walter Leonhard.
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When visitors enter Jerry Busby’s basement, they’re greeted with walls filled with military memorabilia as an ode to service members from across the decades, carefully curated by a fellow soldier. "Jerry’s nearly got a whole museum," friend Bill O’Neill said.
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Read Daily Chronicle area thank you letters honoring Veterans in our 2024 Thank You Veterans special section