Army Veteran Receives Memorial Day Surprise From Family

Originally, Norman Hawker should've been surprised a couple week's earlier.

But the wait for his family to see his speechless expression and tear-filled eyes as he saw for the first time Monday the new brick bearing his name along Tinley Park's Hometown Heroes Walk at Patrick Rea Veterans Plaza at the 80th Avenue Metra station.

Hawker was just one of hundreds of veterans who attended the village's Memorial Day ceremony at the station Monday, May 28. A 21-gun salute and wreath presentation marked the occasion, as speakers such as Army Staff Sgt. Michael Devlin honored the memories of those men and women in the military who sacrificed their lives for their country.

That was the reason Hawker, who was in the Army and served in Korea in the early 1950s, was at the plaza Monday. But after the ceremony, his son, John, and the rest of his family escorted him to the walk that extends through the train station's parking lot, featuring bricks with the names of veterans from Tinley Park.

Initially, John Hawker, who lives in Orland Hills, and his family were going to surprise Norman, who goes by the nickname "Skip," on his birthday, May 11, with the gift of the brick. Unfortunately, it wasn't completed, they went with their back-up plan of a Memorial Day presentation.

Having a brick installed along the walk also has an added significance for Norman Hawker. The Tinley Park resident worked at the station with the Regional Transportation Authority for more than 40 years.

Check out the video of Norman Hawker seeing his brick for the first time. Also go through the photo gallery to see images of the village's Memorial Day ceremony.

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