At Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, every day is Veterans Day.
Since 2003, volunteers have given their time to give veterans the final honors they deserve.
"Everything is very solemn ... and we perform everything to the best of our ability," said Mike Padgen, commander with the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Squad.
After the sun sets on the life of a veteran, a new day dawns and duty calls at the cemetery in Elwood, Illinois.
"I was a boiler technician on board a guided missile destroyer," Padgen said.
Padgen is a Navy vet and a volunteer, leading more than 120 members as commander of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Squad for the past two years — providing a final salute to men and women who served.
"Maybe it's my age, you know. As you get older, sometimes you get a little more sentimental, and that's me. I get a little bit more sentimental," said squad member George Anthos.
At 91, Anthos is the only Korean War vet in the ranks.
"I've slowed down a lot, but being with these guys, they really cheer me up."
The squad is disciplined and their duty solemn, but the day still starts with conversation, coffee, and donuts.
"We do a little B.S. together, you know, like military guys do, you know," Anthos said.
They're mostly military guys – except for the girls, Lynn Berndt and Cecilia Seabrook, who say they keep the guys in order.
The ladies are the longest-serving squad members — both with 21 years under their belts.
"I feel like I've done something. I've given this family closure," Berndt said.
No matter how busy the schedule, the memorial squad makes every service feel like it's the only one — precise, poignant, and personal.
Their reverence for this routine can comfort a grieving wife like Kathleen Morgan or a son in mourning like Chris Macias.
"The whole taps and everything. You see a lot of it in the movies, and you're always wondering, you know, what is it really like to experience? And it was very, very touching moment for all of us," Macias said.
"It brings a tear to everybody's eye ... but he'd be proud. He'd be proud, for sure," Morgan said.
The squad doesn't expect gratitude, but they often get it.
"I kind of hold back the tears, but sometimes I can't. It's uh ... I just can't explain it," Anthos said.
The feeling is no mystery to the Memorial Squad.
"It's so honorable. It's so rewarding," Berndt said.
It's what calls them to duty day after day.
The Memorial Squad relies solely on donations. They hold an annual golf outing fundraiser every June.
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