Wounded Marine to be Honored Sunday

Lisle resident Lemuel "James'' Dahan was hurt in Iraq while serving his country as a Marine.

He is one of 10 wounded Illinois veterans to be honored with a police-escorted motorcycle run Sunday.

This is the fourth year for the event, which is sponsored by the Illinois Veterans Foundation. Last year, more than 1,800 motorcyclists participated in the event, to honor vets such as Dahan who was injured in Iraq in 2004.

"I was injured three months into my deployment on Fathers Day, minutes after speaking to my eldest daughter on the phone," he recalled.

He broke his foot while running to the aid of another platoon under fire. The injury required multiple surgeries. Also, due to multiple blast exposures, Dahan developed mild traumatic brain injury, which has resulted in migraines, light sensitivity and some memory loss.

Dahan was a corporal in the Marines until 2006.

Dahan is a student at Benedictine University in Lisle, where he is active in campus affairs. He was re-elected president of Benedictine Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guard, which is the university's student veterans club. He also was named as Benedictine University 2011 Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. He also is the marketing/public relations intern at the Wounded Warrior Project's Chicago office.

He and his wife are parents of two girls and a boy.

Lineup for the Illinois Veterans Foundation motorcycle run starts at 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 26. The first bike leaves at 11 a.m. The event will begin at the Pipe Fitters Local 597, 10850 W. 187th St., Mokena, and end at ASIP Local 150, 19800 Arsenal Rd., Wilmington. Registration fee is $15. Rain date is Sept. 2. For more information, call (630) 740-0509.