Veterans encourage Gen Z to turn out the vote in 2024 election

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Vietnam War veteran Levy Pierce is 93 years old. He is no longer on the battleground but serving out his duty at the polls.

"I have already cast my ballot and I hope everybody else casts their ballots, too," he said.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Pierce joined a room full of war veterans who were celebrated for fighting for the right to vote.

"Home was still divided. People didn't trust one another, were afraid of one another, but in the military, you got to depend upon the guy that's next to ya," said Earl Scheidt, Vietnam War veteran.

VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know to vote in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana

Scheidt remembers fighting in Vietnam during the Civil Rights Movement. He said while things are different today, in many ways it's the same. The political division on display in this election has him concerned that the younger generation isn't concerned enough.

"I'm worried about them. What's going to happen with the future of our country? They've got, I would say that it should be their duty to vote," he said.

As of the week ending October 26, data from the Chicago Board of Elections shows 22% of seniors aged 65 an dup who were registered to vote cast their ballots early. But Gen Z-ers under the age of 25 and registered represented the smallest percentage of the early voting population at only 4%.

Cadet Riana Askew, 18, who performed for the veterans today is one of them.

"I'm making a change in the world, just like how they made a difference in our lives, fighting for our country," the first-time voter said.

"I didn't have basic civil rights," said Vietnam veteran Robert Reaves. "Yet, you want to send me to some place I know nothing about, talking about fighting for a country and I'm fight for the right to vote?"

Born in 2006, Askew said it was surreal for her to be with the older veterans, hearing about the sacrifices they made as she encourages her own peers to make their voices heard.

"Especially as Gen Z, we need to get out there and go vote," she said.