Kankakee celebrates Veterans Day through local veterans’ service experiences

An all-female Soviet bomber brigade during World War II and a young Black soldier serving in France during World War I experienced vastly different circumstances of combat.But to Eric Peterson, superintendent of the Kankakee County Veterans Assistance Commission, both illustrate the courage and resilience of those who served.That message was shared during the Veterans Day community ceremony Wednesday at the Kankakee County Museum, attended by about 50 people.Peterson, a military veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and founder of Project Headspace and Timing, a nonprofit that supports veterans, led the ceremony and introduced guest speakers.His remarks highlighted the “Night Witches,” who flew more than 24,000 combat missions, and William Henry Johnson, who fought German soldiers and defended his wounded comrade with a knife and rifle butt after running out of ammunition.Peterson said both stories, although different countries, demonstrate that courage and determination are not limited to o