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Wolves, 85th Support Command to observe Veterans Day with wreath-laying ceremony

The Chicago Wolves and the 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command will observe Veterans Day with a wreath-laying ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Chicago Riverwalk to honor the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the U.S. armed forces.

Wolves senior executive vice president Wayne Messmer will open the ceremony at 11 a.m. at the war memorial dedicated Nov. 11, 2005, to all branches of the armed services that served in Vietnam. After the colors are presented by the 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command’s color guard and Messmer performs the national anthem, Brigadier General Ernest Litynski — Commanding General of the 85th USARSC — and U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. (retired) Roger R. Machut will speak.

Additional military officers planning to attend the ceremony include Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Zinn, executive officer of Chicago’s Marine Safety Unit; Lt. Col. Benjamin Boardman, commander of the Chicago Recruiting Battalion; Command Sgt. Maj. Ernest Babbs, Jr., senior enlisted advisor of the Chicago Recruiting Battalion; Jim Bland, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army; Col. (retired) Dan Baggio, executive director of military instruction, JROTC, for Chicago Public Schools; Christopher Schmidt, USO of Illinois executive director; and Chaplain (Maj.) Taylor Kim, who will deliver the invocation.

The Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department and Coast Guard Great Lakes also are supporting this event as each institution will have a boat stationed on the Chicago River near the memorial.

The ceremony will be streamed live on the Chicago Wolves’ Facebook page.