2023 Memorial Day Parade, Ceremony Planned For Arlington Heights

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — For more than a century, Arlington Heights has been honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice as members of the military with the annual Memorial Day Parade. The 104th edition is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 29.

According to the Village website, the parade will begin at Arlington Heights Road and Sigwalt Street, go west to Sigwalt, turn north on Dunton, turn west on Euclid, and south on Chestnut. The parade then concludes at Memorial Park, where the Memorial Day Ceremony will take place at 11 a.m.

This year's participants will include the 8th Illinois Cavalry Civil War Reenactor Group, Brigadier General Richard Corner, the Commanding General of the 85th Support Company, and the U.S. Navy Honor Guard from Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois.

Organizers are seeking veterans to participate in the parade and said that the military members don't need to be residents of Arlington Heights. For more information and to participate, complete and submit the application by Monday, May 22, or email [email protected].

The ceremony will honor and remember all those who have given their lives for freedom, especially Arlington’s Fallen Heroes — the 59 young men from our town who died in the service of our Nation from the Civil War through Afghanistan. At the ceremony, a list of names of veterans who have passed away in the preceding 12 months will be read.

In addition, this year's ceremony will highlight the recent identification of a 59th Fallen Hero from Arlington Heights – PVT John Sieburg, 8th Illinois Cavalry Regiment. Sieberg's relatives, Nadine Lussman from Switzerland, and Jeff Lussman from Iowa, will be guests of honor. Nadine will be flying in from Switzerland to speak about John's story, who died of wounds at age 21 on Oct. 12 1863 between the two battles of Rappahannock Station, Virginia. Records show Sieberg was a member of the 8th Illinois Cavalry Regiment – the famous cavalry unit believed to have fired the first shot at the Battle of Gettysburg.