Veterans will have an opportunity to address their community and other local vets during an event this Sunday in Aurora.
Roosevelt Aurora American Legion Post 84, in partnership with Illinois Joining Forces, will host the Veterans Day “Open Mic” Town Hall meeting immediately after the Veterans Day Parade in downtown Aurora.
Registration will go from noon to 12:30 p.m. for the event, which will be held at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place in Aurora. The program will run until 3 p.m.
Commander of Post 84 Mike Eckburg said open mic events like this one have been popular on the East Coast and that having the opportunity to host one here “was something too exciting for the post to pass up.”
“Having something like this one on Veterans Day was just perfect even though we know there are a lot of conflicts with all the Veterans Day events going on,” Eckburg said. “This was something we lunged at and we hope given some of the recent conflicts, this will give veterans a no-holds-barred way to explain what they’ve done in their life.”
The open mic and town hall programs, Eckburg said, have been inspired by a book written by Sebastian Junger entitled “Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging,” which talks about the connectivity of those in the military and how difficult it is to find the same closeness with others at home.
In a press release announcing the event, executive director of Illinois Joining Forces Jamie Martinez said open mic events help veterans experience a supportive environment.
“This is a way for veterans to be supported by their local community,” Martinez wrote. “It is so important that our veterans connect with the community in which they live and share their experiences in a supportive and understanding environment.”
Eckburg said the event will likely be therapeutic but added there would “be protocols in place” to control political commentary or unbridled remarks.
“Speakers have to register for the event and we have a practical protocol in place that each speaker will have to follow,” Eckburg said. “This is about veterans and their families and raising community awareness and people trying to understand what it’s like to serve in a war. It is meant to be solemn and not political.”
