Chicago, June 2, 2026(Yes Punjab News)
Members of the Sikh community from Chicago and its surrounding suburbs participated in Memorial Day parades and ceremonies in Chicago, Naperville, and Schaumburg, honoring the service and sacrifice of Sikh soldiers in World Wars I and II. Their floats featured pictorial displays commemorating Sikh soldiers who gave their lives in defense of freedom and in support of Allied forces. Along the parade routes, spectators responded with warm applause and visible appreciation for the tribute.
The Sikh American community in Chicago has participated in Memorial Day ceremonies and parades since 2012. In 2026, members from across the region came together for three separate observances in downtown Chicago, Schaumburg, and Naperville. The Naperville float was sponsored by the Illinois Sikh Community Center, Wheaton Gurdwara Sahib, which also served langar at the parade’s end point, creating a welcoming community gathering for participants. Before the procession began, Bhai Mohinder Singh led Sikh Ardaas (prayers).
The Chicago parade began at Lake and Dearborn Streets, continued south along State Street, and concluded at Van Buren Street. Sikh participants, dressed in red turbans and matching shirts, were greeted with thunderous applause from spectators lining the route. The Chicago float was sponsored by Safeway Transportation Services Corp., Pan Oceanic Engineering Co., and Indian Harvest Restaurant of Naperville.
The Sikh contingent was led by two large U.S. flags and the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag. As the group approached the main review stand, community members were welcomed and saluted by senior armed forces officers. The float also paid tribute to two local Sikh community members who had previously served in the Indian Army.
One of those honored was Colonel Nirmal Singh Singha, born in 1938 in the village of Kathe in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. He entered the Indian Military Academy in 1957 and was commissioned as an officer in 1959. During his 30-year military career, he served in the Indian Army and fought in the 1965 and 1971 wars. After retiring in 1987, he immigrated to the United States with his family and settled in the Chicago area, where he later operated a cab company, an insurance agency, and a gas station.
Chicago has hosted one of the nation’s largest Memorial Day parades since 1870. This year’s event featured marching bands, ROTC cadets, uniformed soldiers, veterans’ groups, military jeeps, and Humvees. Among the many entries was a prominently decorated Sikh American float honoring Sikh soldiers who lost their lives in World Wars I and II.
The Naperville Memorial Day parade was also well attended, and the Sikh contingent was met with enthusiastic applause, salutations, and standing ovations. In Schaumburg, the Sikh American community of Chicago has participated in Memorial Day ceremonies at Saint Peter’s Church since 2011, where posters honoring Sikh soldiers have been displayed and free food has been served to attendees.
The Sikh community is widely recognized for its military service, acts of bravery, and humanitarian contributions to vulnerable populations around the world. Sikh soldiers have long served on the front lines, and thousands were martyred while defending their nations and Allied forces during World Wars I and II.
As the Sikh American community contingent approached the review stand, the master of ceremonies noted that Sikhs have lived in the United States for more than 120 years. During the 20th century, thousands of Sikh Americans worked on farms, in lumber mills and mines, and on the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern Railroad. Today, Sikhs are the world’s fifth-largest religious community, with an estimated 30 million Sikhs globally and more than 500,000 living in the United States.
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