McHenry County veterans thankful for Memorial Day festivities, summer reopening after pandemic year

Just before U.S. Army veteran Ray Rudden stood up Monday on the side of Williams Street in downtown Crystal Lake to salute the participants and fellow veterans in the city’s Memorial Day parade, he recalled being a part of a rescue crew that found several crews of American aircraft that had come down in the Mekong River basin during the Vietnam War.

Altogether, he helped about a dozen different people find their way out of the jungle, he said.

One man he helped to retrieve, though, was a Marine who was found dead, whose body was brought back to the states, Rudden said, being sure to remember those who died in service to the nation on the federal holiday in honor of such soldiers.

“Their families were thankful,” said Rudden’s friend, Jerry Shaffer, a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam war and was also watching the parade.

Both Shaffer and Rudden, who also served in the Korean War, were grateful the parade and ensuing ceremony at Union Cemetery to honor the nation’s fallen soldiers were able to be held this year, after the COVID-19 outbreak caused many holiday events to be called off over the past year.

“It’s great,” Rudden said.

Watching families and children gather outside without masks was also thrilling for area businesses and their employees. Sunday marked a new low in the state for hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and Monday saw the fewest new cases of the virus tallied since June last year in Illinois.

“With everything opening back up and the summer coming, it’s pretty exciting,” said Morgann Paaske, a worker at Mellie’s Chocolate & Co. on North Williams Street in Crystal Lake.

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Memorial Day parade and ceremony in Crystal Lake Alyssa Gilleland holds son JJ, 2, as they wave with Linda Bichler, left, all of Crystal Lake, during a Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 31, 2021 in Crystal Lake. The parade began at Crystal Lake Central High School and continued through downtown, ending at Union Cemetery with a ceremony. (Matthew Apgar/Matthew Apgar)

She said the shop struggled, losing a lot of business during the pandemic, and was unable to get some candies and products it normally sells because their prices soared amid the crisis.

“It was awesome. I mean, seeing people out there, on the streets without masks, seeing all that, it was really cool. It was kind of like post-pandemic, time to get back to normal,” Paaske said.

Crystal Lake resident Tim Mitsven, a veteran of the Marine Corps, who served during Operation Desert Storm, agreed the coming days should see more reopening of the economy.

“Open it all,” he said.

He carried an American flag to the ceremony in Crystal Lake after his Navy veteran father, Orrin Douglas Mitsven, died while in hospice care earlier Monday. Tim Mitsven said he felt it was important to go to the parade afterward.

“It was heartwarming to see everyone out and be able to celebrate,” said Mitsven’s wife, Tiffany Mitsven.

McHenry 2nd Ward Alderman Andy Glab also said he was glad to see more people getting together, but stressed that the pandemic is not over with less than half of McHenry County residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

He hopes people continue to use some caution while in groups, especially indoors, including through unvaccinated people wearing masks and continuing to socially distance.

“It’s great we’re seeing more and more people getting out and getting together. Use common sense when you’re out there,” Glab said.