Macon Reporter

Illinois state Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) recently helped to promote events to honor fallen military personnel.

In a Nov. 11 Facebook post, Caulkins shared an invitation to the Tree Lighting Ceremony for the fifth annual Fallen Heroes Tree of Honor and wrote, "This is always a beautiful and moving event. Please consider taking part."

According to Herald & Review, the Tree of Honor placed in the Decatur Civic Center is not the only tree that will honor fallen heroes. Another will be placed in the Central Illinois Regional Airport and a third in the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Tree lighting ceremonies will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, at the Central Illinois Regional Airport, 3201 Cira Drive in Bloomington, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. The event at the Decatur Civic Center was held Wednesday, Nov. 16.

One of the sponsors of this year's event is the Sgt. Anthony Maddox Memorial. Maddox, a Bloomington resident, was 22 when he was killed on July 22, 2013, while serving in Afghanistan after a petroleum incident involving an Afghanistan truck. He deployed to Andar Ghanzi Province as a petroleum supply fueler and a heavy wheeled vehicle operator for Foxtrot Forward Support Company, 10th Brigade Support Battalion, 1/87 Infantry Battalion in Fort Drum, N.Y.

The event is also sponsored by America's Gold Star Families, an organization "created to provide honor, hope and healing to those grieving any military loss through active duty service. We include all family members representing all conflicts, all branches of service and all circumstance of death."