DeKalb County Veterans

05/26/2026

America …

05/21/2026

DeKalb County is now a national “Purple Heart County”.
Congratulations All Veterans in DeKalb County who were awarded a Purple Heart during their military service for this honor.
Duty Honor Country

05/03/2026

Please support this project.

The Center for Women Veterans in partnership with the Office of Women’s Health announced the launch of a bold new national effort — Women Veterans Enrollment Initiative, “Boots on the Ground for Boots on the Ground.”

This national initiative aims to help the VA enroll one million women Veterans that are not currently using their VA benefits and services that they have earned and deserve. The summit will also focus on educating and assisting transitioning servicewomen, returning citizens and women Veterans with information on VA health care, benefits, pre-need services, program, and support services that may be new to them.

This initiative will be comprised of five regional summits throughout the United States.

First Stop is the Southwest! This summit will kick off in San Antonio, Texas at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on Friday, July 24, 2026, and Saturday, July 25, 2026.

Each summit will provide an opportunity for women Veterans to meet with representatives of VA and discuss issues related to their needs in the areas of employment, whole health, mental health, military sexual trauma, su***de prevention, entrepreneurial resources, and end of life planning, among other areas of focus.

As enrolled Boots on the Ground, the Center for Women Veterans needs you to find other Boots on the Ground that are not enrolled with VA and bring them with you to the Summit in July! You can help them feel comfortable getting the support and services that they need.

Register here: https://whova.com/portal/registration/bIpBmx5GL4oTJcmYk45h/

Additional details:
https://department.va.gov/center-for-women-veterans/million-women-veteran-enrollment-initiative-boots-on-the-ground-for-boot-on-the-ground-regional-summits/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRd0S9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFEME1tbEtsaDZoT3JtcTdOc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrSabRiyphjGdQyQvgY87CsJarDU-mLKwfK9JRnHAF0bkDbGkW9ANfFFDTay_aem_cHMefqllxvmAH3eqN6ckig

04/19/2026

A great concept for the State of Illinois
DeKalb County Veterans

Celebrate your service or the service of your loved one with an Armed Forces License Plate!

Plates are available in six styles – Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, or National Guard – and come with a sticker to indicate status, from ‘Active,’ to ‘Retired,’ to ‘Family’ and others.

Plates can be purchased by active-duty personnel, Veterans, as well as their family members.
Your celebration of service is also an act of service: purchase of an Armed Forces License Plate supports operations at the State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake as well and provides support for other Veteran-focused programs.

For more information visit dva.wa.gov/license-plates/armed-forces-license-plates

04/14/2026

Happy Birthday - USAF Reserves

04/13/2026

Geoff Mongiat, the 'My HealtheVet' coordinator, is "on tour" at our clinics: Rockford VA Clinic

Correction:
Wednesday & Thursday, April 15 - 16, 2026

9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
816 Featherstone Road, Rockford, IL

Get in-person assistance with:

Scheduling appointments
Sending and receiving secure messages
Refilling prescriptions
Viewing medical records, lab results and tests
Sharing health information with your providers
Logging into your Login.gov or ID.me account
If you need help at home, please call the help desk at 877-327-0022.

Bring your:
Smartphone or cellphone
Email address and password
Photo ID
If you only have a landline, someone will need to answer it, get a security code and give it to you.

Want to learn more? Visit www.va.gov/sign-in-changes.

04/03/2026

Hello valued member of the DeKalb County Veteran community,

Illinois Veterans, transitioning service members and their families are invited to join the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at the Illinois Veterans Benefits and Resource Fair. You will receive direct access to benefits and discover new career opportunities on Apr 13, at the University of Chicago David Rubenstein Forum in Chicago. This free event is designed to provide you with essential benefits and up-to-date information on important Veteran-related topics and resources available from VA and other providers.

Event Details:

Date: April 13, 2026
Time: 8:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST
Location: University of Chicago David Rubenstein Forum 1201 E 60th St, Chicago, IL 60637
The event schedule includes:

A resource and benefits fair to connect Veterans, transitioning service members, families, caregivers and survivors with organizations providing Veteran services and benefits.
A claims clinic for one-on-one help filing a VA claim and private disability claims examinations.
Workshops on Veterans' benefits.

Career workshops to help with resumes and interview skills.
Employment opportunities from a variety of employers.
VA is committed to helping Veterans and their families have a successful post-military journey. Do not miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge of VA benefits and connect with fellow Veterans in the Chicago community.

To learn more about the Illinois Veterans Benefits and Resource Fair and register for this event, please visit:

https://discover.va.gov/transition-events/event/fy26_chicago/.

We look forward to seeing you there and helping you take the next step toward a brighter financial future.

04/01/2026

Watch for a special “DeKalb County” Purple Heart 💜 program to be announced as well as a City of DeKalb Purple Heart program. Stay tuned to DeKalb County Veteran information

Thanks to the amazing efforts of one young man down in The Rio Grande Valley, as a matter of fact, a student at Rio Grande City High School, Diego G. Guerra, raised money to sponsor 5 Purple Heart Parking Signs from our Purple Heart Project. These Purple Heart Parking Signs will grace quite a few locations around and inside Rio Grande City, 2 at Rattler Stadium, 1 at San Isidro ISD, 1 at Veterans Memorial Park, and 1 at the Starr County Court House, as well as painting Purple Heart Parking Spots with the help of our friends over at Sherwin Williams. Inspiring our youth with the work that we do has been one of the biggest rewards we could ever ask for, because of their efforts they continue to carry on the journey and legacy on what it means to “Honor” our Veterans and their families. These signs are quickly on their way down to The Rio Grande Valley, thank you again for supporting our Purple Heart Project, and our Community.

If you’d like to Sponsor a sign or two for your district, Business, City, or even a resident, please email [email protected]

Thank you for your support 🙏🏻🇺🇸🫡🥰

03/29/2026

Update: DeKalb Veterans Memorial

We are excited to see the future process of new changes for the DeKalb Veterans Memorial, located at the ELKs Lodge 765, in DeKalb, Illinois. There will be new flowers planted around the Memorial for this spring, which supports the "250th Anniversary of America".

Last fall, a local flower club planted 250 tulips, daffodils, white iris, and other bulb plants in front of the flag area of the Memorial. These perennials are starting to bloom. The goal of the support team and local flower club is to plant an additional 250 flowers around the Memorial as part of the "250th Anniversary of America" initiative.
NOTE: There will also be a decorative upgrade to the Women's Memorial Fountain this spring.

Those families of veterans wishing to install an 'honorary brick' to acknowledge their veteran family member can contact the ELKS lodge for an application.

Save the Date: The DeKalb ELK's Lodge 765 will have a formal ceremony on Sunday, June 14th, in honor of Flag Day and the "250th Anniversary of America" initiative.

NOTE: If you or your family would like to sponsor a Flag or Bench, please contact: Jerry Evans - [email protected] -
or leave a message: (815) 756-6912
Important: The ELKs Memorial Committee is seeking funds ot replace the current flags.

03/26/2026

DeKalb Hometwon Hero Banners

If you are interested in purchasing a banner for a DeKalb Veteran or Military member, you have until April 15th to complete. Open to any veteran that resides or has lived in the DeKalb area.
These banners will hang downtown DeKalb from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. Please contact the DeKalb American Legion. 
email address below for details. 👇

[email protected]

A joint project with the City of DeKalb and the DeKalb American Legion in conjunction of America's 250th Anniversary.