Blackhawks Warrior Player Among Many In Attendance At Veteran's Day Ceremony
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Soldier Field held Friday its annual Veteran's Day ceremony, honoring the veterans in Chicago who have served.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other dignitaries, including newly elected U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, laid a wreath during the ceremony.
Among the former service people at Chicago's annual Veteran's Day ceremony was a man who's exchanged a military uniform for sports gear. But, it's still all about the Veterans. WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports.
Navy Air Force veteran C.J. Seestadt attended the Soldier Field Veteran's Day observance wearing the red and black colors of the Chicago Blackhawks. He plays for the Blackhawks Warriors, a hockey team. Seestadt said they are a team of disabled veterans who play fundraising games around the metropolitan area.
He said they don't just raise money, they raise spirits. A big part of the effort is calling attention to the need to keep veterans active and occupied. The recreation and competition give vets more of a purpose.
The veteran explained what the holiday and the military means to him.
"I really think that is what the military teaches most people that have served," Seestadt said. "That there is something bigger than just you. Veteran's Day brings that home for me."
The ceremony took place in front of the 'Doughboy Statue,' the nickname given to infantrymen during World War I.
This weekend the Warriors are playing a team from Lincoln Way high school. They'll be at the United Center in January.
