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Past president of the Chicago chapter of AVER Jim Darby. Photo by Hal Baim -
Stanley Jenczyk and Larry Simpson. Photo by Hal Baim -
Photo by Hal Baim -
Singer Tim Schoenmann performed America the Beautiful and the National Anthem. Photo by Hal Baim -
Photo by Hal Baim -
AVER Chicago president Lee Reinhart, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, and Major Steve Snyder-Hill. Photo by Hal Baim -
Photo by Hal Baim -
Photo by Hal Baim -
Photo by Hal Baim -
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Special guest speaker was Major Steve Snyder-Hill, who joined the military in 1988. He spoke of his military career, and the moment in 2012 when he gained national attention when he asked Republican candidates for president, as an active member of the military, their positions on gays in the service, and he was boo’d.
Stanley Jenczyk gave the group the good news about his successful three-year effort to have an AVER memorial at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois. The group needs to raise $20,000 and wants to have the monument up by Memorial Day 2015.
Longtime AVER member Ed Wosylus received a Happy Warrior award from the group, along with Hill and Jenczyk.
Leading the program was new AVER Chicago president, Lee Reinhart, and he paid tribute to outgoing, longtime AVER leader Jim Darby. Darby received a standing ovation for his many years of dedication to AVER and LGBT veterans. Treasurer Larry Simpson read the group’s preamble to the crowd.
A moment of silence was held for longtime AVER member Michelle Parisi, who had passes away a few days earlier.
Windy City Gay Idol 2014 runner-up Tim Schoenmann sang the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. Susan Jones and Melissa terrell played Taps.
Donations to the AVER monument fund can be sent to AVER Chicago, P.O. Box 29317, Chicago, IL 60629. Write Monument Fund on the memo line.