Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans, commander, Naval Service Training Command represented the Navy at Memorial Day events around the Chicago region, May 28 and 30.

Evans participated in the annual Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Eternal Flame on Daley Plaza and the Memorial Day Parade on State Street. Evans, whose NSTC headquarters is 35 miles north of Chicago at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, joined with Chicago representatives from each of the armed services for the commemoration.

Chicago's annual Memorial Day Parade has been around since 1870. It is held to honor those who have given their lives to the service of our country.

Evans also had the privilege of attending the Chicago Military Gold Star Family breakfast prior to the Memorial Day ceremony and parade. There he was able to speak with many families that lost their loved ones defending this country.

"It was a great honor to attend the Gold Star Family breakfast and see firsthand how the City of Chicago honors our military heroes that have given their life to defend this great nation," said Evans.

The parade featured dozens of marching units and floats, including several Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps units from around the region.

On Memorial Day, Evans had the honor of serving as the Grand Marshal of the Arlington Heights Memorial Day Parade and served as guest speaker at their ceremony. The parade is one of the largest in the country, spanning one mile and attended by nearly 10,000 people.

Evans was joined in speaking by Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes and Brig. Gen. Frederick Maiocco Jr. of the Army Reserve's 85th Support Command in Arlington Heights. The ceremony honored those veterans of the community that have not only lost their lives in battle, but who have served this country and passed away.

"Remembering our fallen once a year is not enough," said Evans. "The widows, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children remember every day."

NSTC oversees 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy's citizenship development program. NSTC includes Recruit Training Command, the Navy's only boot camp; NROTC at more than 160 colleges and universities across the country; Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island; NJROTC and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.

For more information about NSTC, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil/nstc/ or visit the NSTC Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining/.

For more news from Naval Service Training Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.