Lake Forest High School Honors Naval Station Great Lakes at Football Game

will host “Naval Station Great Lakes Appreciation Day,” on Friday, Sept. 23, in connection with the school's homecoming football game against North Chicago.

The recognition celebrates Naval Station Great Lakes' centennial.

In addition to traditional homecoming festivities, the event will feature special recognition of the Naval Station and its personnel in a pre-game ceremony and throughout the game, including a ceremonial coin toss by Capt. Randall Lynch, the station's commanding officer, a performance by Navy Band Great Lakes and presentation of the colors by the Navy Color Guard.

The Marching Band and North Chicago High School Band will join Navy Band Great Lakes for a special musical tribute and in the playing of the national anthem. Naval Station Great Lakes personnel will receive free admission to the game.

From its founding in 1911, Naval Station Great Lakes has maintained its position as the Navy's largest training facility, and hosts the Navy's only Recruit Training Command. Each year, more than 40,000 men and women complete the requirements to become enlisted sailors at the Navy's only boot camp.

Naval Station Great Lakes is also home to the Navy's technical training schools for surface warfare excellence at Training Support Center Great Lakes. Yearly, more than 14,000 students attend these initial and advanced training schools where they learn the basic skills of their Navy jobs.

In the early years after its commissioning, training at Great Lakes moved at a slow pace, with approximately 2,000 recruits a year. However, by the time America and its allies won World War I, more than 125,000 sailors had been trained at Great Lakes, greatly contributing to the Navy's success in the war.

During World War II, between the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and the surrender of Japan on August 14, 1945, more 4 million Americans served on active duty in the Navy. One million of those sailors were trained at Great Lakes.

Great Lakes’ musical heritage also will be featured in the Appreciation Day festivities. World-renowned band leader and composer Lt. John Philip Sousa volunteered his services to the Navy when America entered World War I, and became bandmaster of Great Lakes.

Sousa’s 321-member professional Great Lakes "Bluejacket Band" became the pride of the Navy and the United States, and was the most popular musical act in the world for decades.

In anticipation of the event, Applause, the parent booster organization for the music department, will spearhead an instrument donation drive in cooperation with BRAVO Waukegan and North Chicago High School to help increase the number of students involved in school music programs.

Donations of used band or orchestra instruments may be donated at , or at a drop box at Varsity Field at the football game.

Festivities are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the varsity football game at 7:30.