St Charles VVA Chapter 693

11/02/2025

Hundreds turned out at Cantigny to welcome our own Duane Stevenson and 36 other veterans home. What an honor. Thank you Duane.

To view the photo album:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1T5LVm3ZQS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

To view the video:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1999kBihzv/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/19/2025

Thank You from Hines Va Hospital

09/15/2025

Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) Service Officer Nate Johnson has been recognized with the Christopher Hinton President’s Award from the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO).

Christopher Hinton President’s Award.jpg

The award is among NACVSO’s most prestigious honors, celebrating those who go above and beyond the ordinary, inspiring colleagues and leaving a lasting positive impact on the veteran community nationwide.

Johnson, a U.S. Army veteran who served eight years—including five years on active duty with a deployment to Iraq and three years in the Army Reserves—has worked with the Kane County VAC for more than nine years. In his role, he helps local veterans navigate complex benefit systems and advocates to ensure they receive the services they’ve rightfully earned.

“My passion is helping veterans secure and obtain benefits that they have rightfully earned,” Johnson said. “Our goal at the VAC is to be the central point of contact for any veteran issues in Kane County and we take pride in advocating for these individuals.”

Kane County VAC Superintendent Jake Zimmerman praised Johnson’s commitment to veterans and the significance of the national recognition.

"This award is a reflection not just of his work over the past year, but of his consistent, long-term commitment to serving those who served," said Ziimmerman.

Zimmerman said the award was based on the input of over 2,000 members of the NACVSO. But also noted that the recognition is bittersweet, as Johnson will be leaving Kane County to become the Superintendent of the McHenry County Veterans Assistance Commission starting in November.

Johnson was humble in receiving the award, describing it as a team honor rather than an individual achievement. He summarized his work in Kane County by saying that the goal of the Veterans Assistance Commission, always, is to ensure that no veteran suffers and that no veteran is ever alone.

Learn more about the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission by going to https://www.kanecountyil.gov/pages/veterans.aspx

09/13/2025

09/04/2025

Thanks for Your Donations!

The Vietnam Veterans of VVA Chapter 693 give a heartfelt thank you to all the people who contributed their generous donations last Friday and Saturday at the Jewel on Kirk road.
All donations will be used for in-firmed veterans in the Residential Care facility Bldg 221 at Hines VA Hospital. Some of the activities we provided in the past year, a Riverboat ride on the Fox River in St Charles, a Cougars baseball game, a pizza party, bingo, and help writing and mailing Christmas cards. Your donations will allow us to continue these activities.

Pictured are some of the vets thst participated

07/30/2025

The Story of One Chicago Parish that Lost 12 Soldiers in the Vietnam War

This excerpt, for brevity, is from a WTTW story on one parish in Chicago that suffered 12 Vietnam casualties among its congregation.
A loss greater than in any other parish in the country.
In a parking lot across the street from Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, a reddish-brown stone memorial created in 1970 lists the names of the 12 soldiers who died in Vietnam. It reads, “We owe so much to so few.” Behind the stone is a colorful mural that features paintings of the 12 men. Most were in their early 20s when they were killed. Now the brick wall used for the mural needs tuck pointing and the mural restored.

You can read the full story at:

https://www.wttw.com/chicago-stories/our-soldiers-our-lady-of-guadalupe/the-story-of-the-one-chicago-parish-that-lost-12-soldiers-in-the-vietnam-war

The St Charles veterans have stepped up and contributed to their cause.

The 12 Fallen Soldiers of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Edward Cervantez
Antonio G. Chavez
Leopoldo A. Lopez Jr.
Joseph A. Lozano
Michael S. Miranda
Raymond Ordoñez
Thomas R. Padilla
Joseph A. Quiroz
Dennis J. Rodriguez
Peter Rodriguez
Alfred Urdiales Jr.
Charles Urdiales

“When you see it and you see the pictures of all those 12 kids on the wall there, it really tugs at your heartstrings…If you…ask the people in Chicago about the memorial, very few people…know [about] it at all.”
— Bill lung

To make a donation, go to:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/restoring-our-lady-of-guadalupes-viet-nam-memorial

For decades, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in the South Chicago neighborhood was a cultural center for the community’s Mexican-American families. In that church, families celebrated baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and other major milestones. But after the United States entered the war i...

07/21/2025

Kane County Cougars Veteran’s Appreciation

On Thursday July 17, our St Charles veterans distributed poppies on behalf of AMVETS Post 503 at Northwestern Medicine Field for the Kane County Cougars game versus Cleveland. It was Military Appreciation Night. Thanks to the generosity of the public, we raised a significant amount of money. Every dollar contributed will go directly to helping veterans in need in the Tri-Cities area. The veterans from all four Posts want to thank the Kane County Cougars and everyone that showed their support.

12/21/2024

Batter up for Vets
Kevin O'Connor and his wife Amanda O'Connor are the owners of Mad Batter Bakery & Confections in downtown St. Charles. The bakery is popular and well known for its specialty cakes. But Kevin is also well known by the vets in the area for his continuous generosity. Kevin provides fresh donuts for the St Charles Veterans Center every Wednesday and Saturday morning. He was once quoted, “No veteran shall have to pay for a donut again.” His effort has made a significant savings in the Center’s expenses. But even that’s not enough for Kevin. When his store’s windows get washed, he has the Vet Center’s windows cleaned also. The vets have expressed their thanks to Kevin and are grateful for his continued support.

11/21/2024

Veteran Day Activities at the City of St Charles

We came together to recognize all veterans for their selfless service to our country during the annual St. Charles Veterans Day Ceremony at Fire Station No. ...

11/04/2024

Parents, students, and administrators, met with a group of veterans to conduct recorded interviews that will be shown at Veteran Day activities at Bell Graham Elementary school in St Charles.

Students prepared questions based on each veterans military background. Veterans from WWII, Vietnam, snd Desert Storm were interviewed. Parents and students also had the opportunity to sit and have conversations with the vets.

Bell Graham school has been recording interviews with veterans for years and each year improves the program.

The veterans are grateful to school district 303 for their continued support and look forward to the opportunity to meet the students and their families.

11/04/2024

On Wednesday October 29th, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th Illinois Congressional District), visited the St Charles Veteran’s Center to continue to meet with all Vietnam veterans that live in his district. Raja pinned a commemorative pin on approximately 25 in-country and era veterans. On July 18, 2024, the congressman, Mayor Lora Vitek, postal official’s, and local veterans celebrated the renaming of the former East Side Post Office at 616 E. Main St. in St. Charles to Veterans of the Vietnam War Memorial Post Office. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and signed into law by the President in May.
As Congressmen Raja stated,
“The debt of gratitude our vietnam veterans deserve is too large to ever fully repay.

11/02/2024

Honor flight #119 October 23, 2024