The 233rd birthday of the United States Navy will be celebrated by the Carpentersville Veterans of Foreign Wars Monday, starting at 5.

Highlights of the ceremony will include speakers, as well as the Navy Band and the Great Lakes Woodwind Quintet, Fair Winds, which will begin performing beginning at 5:50 P.M., ten minutes before the festivities begin.

Speakers include

• Carpentersville Village President, William Sarto,
• VFW Post 5915 Commander John Blanchard, who heads the veterans assistance organization NASA Education,
• VFW Illinois Department Commander Vince Long, and
• Keynote speaker will be United States Navy Captain Vivian Melidosian.

The press release follows:

U.S. Navy celebrates is 233rd Birthday at Carpenters Park in the Veterans Garden Memorial and VFW Post 5915 in Carpentersville, Illinois

CARPENTERSVILLE – Carpentersville Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Post 5915 (VFW) will be hosting a celebration commemorating the 233rd year of the United States Navy on Monday, October 13, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.

The ceremony will be held at Carpenters Park in the Veterans Garden memorial on the corner of Maple Avenue and Lord Avenue in Carpentersville, Illinois.

Post commander John C. Blanchard feels it is very important to recognize all of the armed forces on their formation anniversaries.

Mr. Blanchard stated, “The participation of the United States Navy goes far beyond military combat and assistance. The humanitarian efforts are a far more visible necessity and generally welcomed at home and around the world.”

Blanchard who served in the U.S. Navy for eight years also is a true leader and veteran advocate assisting his brothers and sisters of the military who have fallen on hard times through his non-profit company National Association of Systems Administrators Education Corporation (NASA Education).

The ceremony will begin at approximately 5:50 p.m. with prelude music from the Great Lakes Woodwind Quintet – Fair Winds; a versatile woodwind ensemble with repertoire consisting of a variety of styles including classical, marches, and patriotic compositions. This small chamber group performs primarily for military engagements, public concerts, recitals, and educational clinics and performs for audiences throughout the Midwest.

Please arrive early as to not miss this wonderful performance. Guest speakers will include the

• Village of Carpentersville President, William Sarto,
• VFW Post 5915 Commander John Blanchard;
• VFW Illinois Department Commander Vince Long, who also is a Navy veteran from 1965 and
• the keynote speaker will be United States Navy Captain Vivian Melidosian, thirty year active duty, who has served for the Navy for over 30 years.

This event is a free event and open to the public, followed by a meal and birthday cake served at the post home after the ceremony.

The VFW Post 5915 will be celebrating all branches of the military on their respective formation dates at Carpenter Park at the Veterans Garden memorial, with the next event slated for the U.S. Marine Corps on November 10, 2008; the U.S. Army on June 14, 2009, which is also Flag Day; the U.S Coast Guard on August 4, 2009 and the U.S. Air Force on September 18, 2009, so mark your calendars now.

The VFW Post 5915 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month and the Ladies Auxiliary meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 at their post home, located at 301 Lake Marian Rd in Carpentersville. For more information about the U.S. Navy Birthday ceremony, please phone the post at 847-428-4836. Or you may send an email to Amy Johnson at Amy_Johnson@nasaeducation.org. The VFW Post 5915 website is www.vfw5915.org.