Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod opened the village's Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11, thanking the Hoffman Estates High School band and telling attendees, "This is the day we come together and remember all those who put on the uniform of the United States of America."

Les Montag, chairman of the Veterans Memorial Commission, gave a historical overview of Armistice Day and the evolution of the holiday into Veterans Day, noting the armistice that ended World War I on Nov. 11, 1918, and the congressional action in 1954 that changed the name to Veterans Day. "Freedom isn't free," Montag said, urging the crowd to remember the human cost behind the holiday and leading a moment of silence.

Members of Rolling Thunder dedicated an unoccupied POW/MIA chair of honor to the village. "The unoccupied chair is a vivid symbol of the cost of freedom," said Wayne Kirkpatrick, retired U.S. Army colonel and chairman of the board of Rolling Thunder. Kirkpatrick said the chair "reminds us of our obligation as a nation to account for and return our nation's heroes to their families and their communities."

During his remarks, Kirkpatrick cited figures for unaccounted-for American service members, saying there are "more than 71,841" from World War II and listing additional counts for Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam and the Gulf War. Those figures were presented by Kirkpatrick as part of his explanation of the chair's symbolism; the article attributes the numbers to his remarks rather than independently verifying them.

Mayor McLeod also recognized U.S. Marine Corporal Ryan Cummings, a past member of the Hoffman Estates High School band who was killed in action in Iraq in 2006, and asked veterans to stand and salute during the band's playing of service songs, including "Salute to America's Finest" and "God Bless America."

The mayor thanked the Veterans Memorial Commission, Rolling Thunder members, band director Brian Ferguson and students, village board members and Village Clerk Patty Richter for their roles in the ceremony, and noted District 54 school board member Mary Kate Presnick was in attendance. Les Montag closed the program by again thanking veterans and saying "welcome home" to Vietnam-era veterans.

No formal votes or policy actions were taken at the event; it was ceremonial and focused on remembrance, commemoration and community recognition.