As Memorial Day observances unfolded across Chicago on Monday, May 25, the South Side community gathered in Auburn Gresham for the 11th Annual Commander Robert Davis South Side Memorial Day Parade, an event that continues to grow in both visibility and significance while paying tribute to Black veterans and their service to the nation.
The annual parade, organized by 17th Ward Alderman David Moore, began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the St. Leo Campus for Veterans, located at 7750 S. Emerald Ave., before participants marched west along 79th Street to Veteran’s New Beginnings at 8140 S. Racine Ave. Both sites serve homeless veterans, reinforcing the parade’s larger mission of honoring military service long after veterans return home.
“This new route will give the parade more visibility as it travels west on 79th Street,” Moore said in advance of the event. “Also, it encourages more businesses and residents to get involved in paying tribute to our veterans.”
Founded to raise awareness about the pivotal role Black veterans have played in every American war, the parade has increasingly become both a celebration and a reminder of sacrifices often overlooked in broader conversations about military service. Black Americans have served in every major U.S. conflict despite long histories of segregation, discrimination, and unequal treatment in the armed forces.
This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Nick Johnson, brought both military and mental health expertise to the observance. A Chicago native raised in Englewood and Woodlawn, Johnson retired in 2022 after a distinguished 32-year career in the Illinois Army National Guard, reaching the rank of colonel. During his military service, he commanded Chicago’s 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment — where his military career first began as a cadet — as well as the 65th Brigade in Peoria. He also served as deputy commander of the Joint Task Force that helped lead Illinois’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021.
Outside the military, Johnson has spent more than three decades in community mental health and currently serves as a clinical psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at the Naval Station Great Lakes Recruit Evaluation Unit, supporting Navy recruits during basic training. His work reflects the continuing importance of mental health support for service members and veterans — an issue increasingly recognized nationwide.
The parade also spotlighted several veterans whose lives reflect long-standing commitments to service both in and outside the military.
Among the grand marshals was Reynard Bates, an Army veteran who served in the Illinois National Guard’s 1/178 Infantry Regiment from 1988 to 1998. Bates, a longtime locomotive engineer with Union Pacific Railroad, also served as Past Grand Master of the Most Worshipful St. James Grand Lodge from 2020 to 2024, where he focused on mentorship and community leadership.
Also honored was Navy veteran Aretha Elam, whose military journey began through the JROTC program at Emil G. Hirsch High School. Elam served in the U.S. Navy from 1988 to 1990 aboard the USS Yosemite, traveling internationally while advancing rapidly in rank. Today, she works with Chicago Public Schools as a Vision and Hearing Screening Technician and mentors young people considering military service.
Army veteran Sammie G. Sutton was also recognized for his military service and entrepreneurial contributions. A Mississippi native who later built a successful business career in Chicago as owner of S&G Auto, Sutton has long been regarded as a dependable community figure and family patriarch.
Following the parade, attendees gathered for music, performances, and free food and beverages, transforming the solemn remembrance into a broader community celebration of sacrifice, resilience, and fellowship. Organizers say the annual event has steadily expanded over the years, reflecting growing neighborhood participation and an increased commitment to recognizing the contributions of veterans, particularly Black servicemembers whose stories have too often gone untold.
