The Riverside American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Brookfield will each hold Memorial Day ceremonies Monday, May 27, in remembrance of the U.S. soldiers who died while serving in the armed forces.
The American Legion Post 488 will host the annual Riverside Memorial Day Program that is open to the public. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and will be held that St. Paul IV Parish Center Gym at 97 Herrick Road. For attendees arriving by car, parking will be easily accessible.
The central focus of the program is the reading of the “Riverside 54,” which refers to 54 Riverside residents who gave their lives while serving in the U.S. military. The list includes three WWI veterans, 44 WWII veterans, five Korea War veterans, and two Vietnam War veterans.
Guests are invited to Guthrie Park’s Gold Star Memorial, located on Bloomingbank Road, at 1 p.m. for a Navy Wreath ceremony. The 103-year-old Gold Star Memorial was dedicated with four large granite boulders and bronze plaques to honor three Riverside veterans who died while serving overseas in WWI.
After the recitation of the “Riverside 54,” a wreath will be placed in the Des Plaines River as well, which is dedicated to Riverside residents who lost their lives while serving in foreign wars.
Coach Thomas Sisulak, commander of the Squadron 488, has led and organized the Memorial Day program for 16 years. During that time, Sisulak has modeled the program to be an educational and solemn event where all members of the community can participate.
Local organizations participate in the Memorial Day program, which includes two schools, four scout troops and six churches. Sisulak said that each organization “contributes by their presence.”
Educating members of the community on the purpose of Memorial Day has been one of the main objectives. Honoring the service of local veterans has preserved their place in Riverside’s history and ensures they are not forgotten, Sisulak said.
“As a teacher, I wanted to pass along the fact that Memorial Day is not just another vacation day from school,” Sisulak said.
During the program, the late WWII veteran Joseph “Papa Joe” Zich will be the “Honored Riverside Veteran for 2024.” He and his family lived in Riverside for many decades. Zich’s family and friends regularly participated in the Riverside July 4th parade on a float. After graduating Morton High School in Cicero, Zich was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1944. He was 17 years old.
“[Zich] convinced his parents to put down a different birth date on his application because he was only 17 when he should have been 18,” Sisulak said. “So, they changed the birth date.”
Zich served with the 290th Combat Engineer Battalion in France, Germany and Austria. While liberating concentration camps, that battalion assisted thousands of people who were imprisoned in the camps with medications, food and water. In addition, the battalion also built temporary bridges for military and civilian transportation.
The 290th Combat Engineer Battalion was awarded the Presidential citation and a Unit citation for their service in WWII. Zich continued to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University and worked for Amoco Oil for 38 years, ending his employment as Manager of Highway Transportation. In 2017, Zich passed away at the age of 90 years old.
The detailed stories about the “Riverside 54” veterans would not be possible without the thorough research conducted by the American Legion. Interviewing neighbors who knew the soldiers personally, combing through records in the Riverside library and scanning the internet are some of the approaches used to find out who the young men in “Riverside 54” were.
“We’ve tried, and are still doing, anything and everything,” Sisulak said.
In Brookfield, the public is welcome to attend a Memorial Day ceremony hosted by the Joshua Harris VFW Post 2868. Located at Veterans Memorial Park, at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Sunnyside Avenue, this ceremony is planned to begin at 11 a.m.
A keynote address will be provided at the ceremony. After the official service, attendees are invited to the Joshua Harris VFW Post, 8844 Ogden Ave. in Brookfield. Light refreshments will be provided at the VFW Post.
For over 20 years, Veterans Memorial Park has served the Village of Brookfield as a reminder of the men and women that served in the armed forces. Dedicated on Memorial Day in 2003, the small patch of green space houses several bronze plaques. One of these plaques list the names of Brookfield’s own that served in WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
On Memorial Day 2020, the Joshua Harris VFW Post 2868 placed a Battlefield Cross memorial in the park. This cross is dedicated to the residents of Brookfield who were killed in action.
Veterans Memorial Park received another addition in 2023 when war memorials were relocated to the park from Veterans Memorial Circle. The war memorials were located at the circle since 1973, when the memorial was originally dedicated by the Village of Brookfield. However, the upcoming installation of a new fountain required the relocation of the war memorials.
