HUNTLEY – On Friday, November 11, the nation will honor its veterans. The courage and sacrifice that these men and women have shown is a true inspiration for all that call themselves Americans. There are those among us who feel that it is their duty to give back to these brave members of the armed forces.
Crystal Lake resident Linda Gerdes (above) collects greeting cards (below) to send to active duty soldiers overseas so they can have cards to send to their loved ones back home. (Photos by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
One of those individuals is Linda Gerdes.
Gerdes collects and creates all manner of greeting cards for service members around the world.
“[Through] my [contribution] of a card or paper to write on, [I] can link them back to the people they love and miss,” said Gerdes.
Communication with loved ones is often the most cherished moment for the soldier overseas.
“My father was a sergeant in the Pearl Harbor days … he [told] me to do all good things … so I [knew] this, [providing cards for military personnel], was a good thing to do,” said Gerdes.
Among countless individuals who give back to our veterans, there are organizations like the Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois who go above and beyond the call of duty to honor our soldiers.
Randy Granath has been the president of this organization for the past two years.
“My son was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan … [so] I got back involved to help him out,” said Granath.
There are two major programs that the Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois is known for. The first is the Honor Flight program. This program allows World War II veterans the opportunity to go to Washington D. C. to see the World War II Memorial that was built for them. The second major program is Operation Support Our Troops, which sets up collection spots around the McHenry County area to collect items that will be sent to troops overseas.
“We collect the names of people serving [from their families] and make sure they [receive the collected items],” said Granath.
The popularity of these two programs is quite evident to Granath. “It spans the spectrum of the young troops and the older troops…. It brings everything together,” said Granath.
The Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois is always looking to do more for veterans.
“We are always looking for [more] members to help us,” Granath said. He added that more sponsors would help offset the cost of the Honor Flight program so that more veterans can be sent.
To learn more about the Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois, please visit their website at www.veteransnetworkcommittee.com. If you are interested in becoming a member or are thinking of sponsoring this organization, please email all inquiries to vncofnorthernill@aol.com.
“We try to take care of them,” said Granath.
Gerdes agreed.
“I [collect, create, and send out the greeting cards],” she said, “purely for the passion of [helping] the people serving.”
