The annual City of Chicago Salute Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Veterans was held June 30 at Daley Plaza.

Jim Darby, founder of the Chicago chapter of the American Veterans for Equal Rights ( AVER ), now VP/Secretary, acted as emcee.

A mayoral proclamation honoring the veterans was read by Mona Noriega, Commissioner City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations and the National Anthem was performed by Dean Ogren, Show Director International Mr. Leather. The invocation was given by Rabbi Cindy Enger of Congregation Or Chadash.

The speaker for the Salute was Stanley Jenczyk who, over a four-year period, spearheaded the approval and dedication of the first federally approved monument honoring LGBT veterans, dedicated on Memorial Day 2015 and now standing in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL.

"The steps to this monument were very difficult for our entire organization," said Jenczyk, "but through hard work, persistence, and a never ending spirit we fulfilled the pledge to our fellow servicemen. I say again, as I said in the cemetery, that this pledge is in our hearts,. It is not written lot in any document, it is not shown on any computer. It is imprinted in our hearts. That is that we shall never forget our fallen brothers and sisters.

"Let this monument be the first in the nation but not the last, " he said. "Let every national cemetery in great nation have a monument to LGBT men and women who have serve this great nation with great honor and dignity."

The program was followed by America, the Beautiful, sung by AVER member travis, a wreath laying ceremony led by AVER member Ed Wosylus and Echo Taps performed by Susan Jones and Melissa Terrell of the Lakeside Pride Marching Band.

Text by Jean Albright. Photos by Hal Baim