Overview
- The city staged a wreath-laying at Daley Plaza followed by a parade down North Dearborn Street to honor military personnel who died while serving.
- Mayor Brandon Johnson attended both ceremonies and framed the observances as acts of remembrance and a call for citizens to serve their communities.
- U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major Janet Sandoval served as Grand Marshal and delivered the parade keynote while ROTC units, veteran groups, cultural contingents and school bands marched.
- Gold Star families joined the ceremonies, with Carmoneta Horton-Mayfield speaking about her son Army Specialist Henry Mayfield Jr., who was killed in a 2020 terrorist attack in Kenya.
- Officials reported no major incidents and cited strong community turnout, a public reaffirmation of support for veterans and a link this year to the 1986 Welcome Home Parade.