UPDATE 2
Memorial
Memorial Day Ceremony
31 MAY 10
Mission
Link: Do to PGR National Web
Problems Please see Illinois Event Calendar for updates Illinois
Event Calendar
UPDATE
- issued afternoon of 05/28/10:
It
has been announced that the President will be attending the Memorial Day
ceremony at ALNC.
As a result - all parking has been moved offsite. See the included
map. The staging area for the PGR has also changed to the offsite location.
It is expected the crowd will be even larger than originally anticipated.
We will be assisting with parking at the offsite location.
There will obviously be additional security in place. Remember please,
that we will be representing the PGR to all the people we will come in contact
with at this event - Gold Star families, Veterans, ALNC staff, media, police
and other security personnel. Let's make them all glad we were there to
help.
UPDATE:
The parking situation and PGR Staging has been revised again.
The paved parking lot referenced in previous updates will not be
utilized.
ONLY the packed gravel lot will be used for both handicap and general parking.
Semper Gumby!
***** MISSION DETAIL
*****
Date: Mon - May 31, 2010
Staging Location:
UPDATE: We've been told the entrance to
the gravel lot is a paved drive. PGR bikes are to park as far down the
drive as possible. PGR vehicles will need to park in the gravel lot, near
the bikes.
The driveway is on the west side of
Elwood, IL:
From north: IL-53 south to Manhattan Rd, right (west) to Baseline Rd (aka
Kankakee St), left (south) on Mississippi Ave, to parking on right (driveway
entrance to gravel lot)
From I-55: Arsenal Rd east to Baseline Rd (aka Kankakee St), right (south),
past Mississippi Ave to parking on right (driveway entrance to gravel lot)
From south: IL-53 north to Douglas St. (second road past regular entrance to
ALNC); or to St. Louis St. (third road past regular entrance to ALNC); left on
either (bears north) to Mississippi Ave, left (west) to Baseline Rd, right
(south) to parking on right (driveway entrance to gravel lot)
There will be road closures and lane closures in the area. The ALNC
grounds will be closed to all traffic, except for transport buses, security and
permitted media.
See referenced map:
Staging Time:
UPDATE: As close to 6:00am as possible
Judy will be lead RC, with Dave & Brenda assisting, Bogie will further
assist upon arrival.
It is understood this is short notice, but the contracted shuttle buses will be
arriving at 6:00am
Other volunteers (who will be working on the grounds of ALNC) will begin arriving
between 6:00 - 6:30am
First buses with the volunteers departs at 7:00am
First bus with the public will also depart at 7:00am
Last bus into the grounds will depart at 10:45am - the PGR are welcome to ride
this bus - there will be some frontward seats reserved for those wishing to go
to the ceremony.
When you arrive - semper gumby
The Memorial Day services are open to the public - our effort will be to assist
the ALNC staff, at their direction.
This is an all weather event, rain or shine, please be prepared to deal with
the elements -- it may be a good idea to bring along some sun screen and rain
gear.
If you already own a brightly colored Safety Vest, please bring that
along. It's not necessary buy one, as the cemetery should have some extra
we could use - but if you have one, that's more to go around.
The Ceremony begins at 11:30 am. It is
expected that there will be many thousands of guests this year. Guests have
been encouraged to arrive early..
Things can get a lot hectic under normal conditions for this event - even more
so under these circumstances, please remember all of the guests are Gold Star
family members - always treat them with the Respect they deserve.
From the Herald-News:
Want to see Obama? Get in line
May 30, 2010
If
you'd like to attend the Memorial Day ceremony Monday at
Everyone is invited. The event is free and open to the public. No tickets are
required.
There will be seating, but it will be available on a first-come, first-served
basis. Get there very early if you want a seat.
The actual address of the cemetery is
You cannot drive your car into the cemetery on Memorial Day until after the
ceremony. Parking on the property absolutely will not be permitted until then.
To
get to the cemetery, you must drive to the lot at the corner of
The Department of Veterans Affairs strongly encourages everyone to arrive early
at the parking lot. The last bus will leave the lot and head toward the
cemetery at 10:45 a.m. Remember, get there early.
When the ceremony is over, the same buses will bring visitors back to their
cars in the parking lot.
In
past years, as many as 10,000 people have attended the Memorial Day ceremony --
and that was without a sitting president scheduled to speak. Because so many
people are sure to show up, officials suggest car pooling so there will be
enough room at the lot for all the cars.
Expect a lot of traffic near the area that day. Be prepared for tie-ups.
Remember, get out there early.
Of
course, there will be a lot of security. The Secret Service, Will County
police, Joliet police, state police and Elwood police are involved in the
event. Expect it to be much like taking a flight from O'Hare or some other busy
airport -- except with the president there, too. Security is going to check
everything, so be careful about what you bring with you.
Everyone who attends the ceremony will go through one of 18 metal detectors,
Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas said.
Forget bringing any bags, sharp
objects, coolers, umbrellas or lawn chairs. They won't be allowed.
You can bring cameras and liquids in
clear plastic containers.
Some water -- no coolers, OK? -- might be a good idea, particularly if it's a
hot day. There is a water fountain at the public information center on
Dress for the weather. Memorial Day at the Elwood cemetery tends to be either
very hot or rainy. The cemetery has little shade or shelter, so be prepared.
There will be a prelude to the official ceremony at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony
itself will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Above all, be patient. There will be huge crowds and a lot of traffic. But it's
an important occasion, an unusual day in
If
you like to research things on the Internet, check out www.va.gov .
Above all, remember the reason for Memorial Day: the courageous and honorable
men and women who have served this country in the past, present and future.
Torrential
rain, lightning, thunder and strong winds forced President Barack Obama to
cancel a Memorial Day speech he'd scheduled at the
Obama
took the stage at midday under the cover of a large umbrella to tell thousands
of people who came to hear him speak that "a little rain never hurt
anybody but we don't want anybody struck by lightning."
He
asked people to return to their cars for safety.
Obama
tried to wait out the storm in the cemetery's administration building. At one
point he boarded a pair of buses to greet military families that came for the
ceremony. Within the hour, however, reporters who accompanied the president to
the cemetery were told that Obama would not be delivering the speech.
Obama
had spoken at the
(AP
Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
.
Poor
guy has had bad luck dogging him all weekend.
back to ALL MISSIONS
P.S.:
Good
morning!
"Amazing", "dedicated", "faithful",
"enduring" - these are but a few words to describe the efforts you
and the Patriot Guard Riders displayed during the 2010 Abraham Lincoln National
Memorial Day Ceremony.
President Obama's visit to the cemetery was unprecedented, and certainly one
for the history books. Approximately 7,500 people visited the cemetery to
honor
One of the challenges was transporting visitors from the designated parking lot
to the cemetery and back again. This is where the Patriot Guard Riders
shined. You and your team adjusted to the change, parked all vehicles,
and ensured our visitors arrived and left safely. In addition, you and
your team endured the torrential downpour of rain, wind and cold - without any
shelter and without complaint! I am truly in awe of your dedication to
the cemetery, family members and most importantly, the veteran community.
Judy, I ask that you please pass along my sincere gratitude to all members of
the Patriot Guard Riders who volunteered for this monumental event. I'm
very honored and proud to call the Patriot Guard Riders a beloved and trusted
friend of the cemetery.
Most Respectfully,
Sean
Sean Baumgartner
Acting Director - Abraham Lincoln N.C.
P.P.S.:
Operation
Enduring Freedom is now Americas
longest war.